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Robert J. Thomas is Professor of Business in the School of Business at Georgetown University. He received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Dr. Thomas teaches, conducts research, and advises clients on aspects of new product development and marketing management topics.

This book is a title in the publisher's Portable MBA Series. The series is designed to provide a "hands on," easy-to-access overview of the ideas and information covered in a typical Masters of Business Administration program.

Probably only a small percentage of independent "garage inventors" will find this book very relevant to their immediate pursuits. As Thomas states in the preface, the likely readers of this book...

"...might include top-level executives in organizations developing new products, and managers involved in planning, developing, and forecasting new products. Although analysts and marketing research specialists will not find all possible methodologies useful to new product development and forecasting in this book, they will find that it provides a coherent logic within which to consider their industry-specific approaches and methodological preferences. ... Consultants involved in framing new product problems for their clients, as well as entrepreneurs and venture capitalist involved in startup businesses relying on one or more new products, will also find the book of interest."

Dr. Thomas shows how to take control of the new product development process by effectively forecasting market opportunities, estimating sales and profits, designing marketing efforts, timing the launch of new products, and tracking products after launch. He shows that managing and forecasting successful new product developments are an interactive process involving all members of the product team. In today's turbulent business environment this book provides the foundation for developing innovative new products that will likely succeed in the marketplace.

Some excerpts...

From Chapter 7:

"There are several reasons to consider using an analogical diffusion model to estimate market penetration for new products. One is that it provides an intellectually rigorous approach for overcoming the natural bias to overestimate early sales, especially in the critical first and second years of a new product's life. Although parameter estimation departs from normal modeling procedures (by necessity, because no historical data points are available), the diffusion model is a widely accepted and studied model form. Further, the model presented here is fairly intuitive to managers, straightforward in assumption, and amenable to spreadsheet calculation. Managers can interact with the model in a 'what-if' fashion by changing parameter values and performing sensitivity analyses."

From Chapter 12:

"In fact, for many situations, new product development should be viewed as an interactive relationship between the innovating organization and potential buyers (and other key stake-holders) to jointly define and develop the new product. The best way to anticipate market response for a new product is to jointly create it with potential buyers, then estimate when and how many consumers might enter the market to buy."

 

"Building on his expertise in forecasting, Thomas provides an innovative yet highly readable approach to managing the task of new product development. The focus is not so much on what to do, but more importantly, how to do it, how to manage the process to get the right product to market ahead of the competition."
--John A. Quelch
Harvard Business School

"Thomas provides excellent insight into the complex process of new product development. He addresses real-world critical issues that every business manager must address. I was particularly pleased that he included organizational issues since they often have a significant impact on new product success."
--Lynn Langevin
Marketing Manager, Medical Division of 3M

"In an era of over-capacities, intense price competition, and low growth, new value-added products are more critical that ever to profitable growth and harder than ever to deliver. This book offers a clean, disciplined approach to the new product process that will greatly enhance the probability of success." --Phillip A. Marineau
President and Chief Operating Officer
The Quaker Oats Company

Table of Contents

Part 1 STRUCTURING NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1 Why New Product Development? Chapter 2 Mediating Turbulent Business Environments Chapter 3 Anticipating Market Acceptance Of New Products Chapter 4 Preparing The Organization For New Product Development Part 2 MANAGING NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Chapter 5 The Ongoing Process Of New Product Development Chapter 6 Building A New Product Decision Support System Part 3 NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND FORECASTING Chapter 7 Estimating Market Opportunity For New Products Chapter 8 New Product Sales Forecasting Chapter 9 New Product Financial Control Part 5 IMPLEMENTING NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Chapter 10 Test Marketing New Products Chapter 11 Market Entry Decisions Chapter 12 Launching And Tracking New Product Programs REFERENCE NOTES; COMPANY/BRAND NAMES; NAME INDEX; SUBJECT INDEX

Several case studies are presented that highlight the new product efforts of such companies as Kraft, Compaq, Marriott, Kimberly Clark Northern Telecom, Goldman Sachs & Co., and Xerox. ~

New Product Development: Managing And Forecasting For Strategic Success
Our price: $36.00

Catalog# 2268-2