PRODUCT CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH FOR

AGRICULTURAL INPUTS
The creation of products with new or different characteristics that offer new or additional
benefits to the customer.
Product development may involve modification of an existing product or its presentation, or
formulation of an entirely new product that satisfies a newly defined customer want or market
niche.
Portfolio analysis
The growth-share matrix is divided into
quadrants and these can be applied to products,
groups of products, divisions within a large
corporation or whole businesses within an
economy. These quadrants have been given the
somewhat colourful, but therefore memorable,
labels of rising stars, cash cows, problem
children and sick dogs.
Rising stars: The upper left quadrant contains products or businesses operating in high-
growth markets. Products or businesses located in this quadrant will require large amounts of
cash to sustain their position in this market and to maintain the momentum of market growth.
Even though rising stars may generate high sales volumes and revenues, these are likely to be
outstripped by the amounts of cash required to support the product or business during the fast
growth stage. At this stage substantial amounts of money are likely to be necessary to create
awareness of the new product and to establish a distribution network, etc. Therefore, rising
stars tend to be net cash absorbers. This is perhaps better appreciated if businesses are aware
of the product life cycle (PLC) concept. The concept applies to products at an industry level
rather than at an individual company or brand level.
Cash cows: Products or businesses located in the bottom left quadrant are those with high
market shares in low growth markets. Because the market is mature, the cash requirement is
lower and products or businesses in this quadrant become net cash generators. Where there
are cash cows, there is the danger of complacency, with little thought being given to the need
for forward planning of the business portfolio.
Problem children: Low share businesses in high growth markets represent problem children
(elsewhere known as wildcats or question marks). Problem children are cash absorbers, in the
short-run, because of the resources required to increase their market share (e.g. advertising,
special promotions, discounts etc.). If these products cannot be converted to rising stars, they
will become a long term, cash absorbing sick dog when the market matures. Only so many
problem children can be supported at any point in time and it may be better, in the case of at
least some of them, if they are sold off or starved of resources and milked for whatever cash
they can generate.
Sick dogs: Low-share businesses, in low growth markets, exhibit weak performance and so
are termed sick dogs. Such businesses yield very low profits, and sometimes losses. Because
market growth is slow, attempts to increase their market share are usually very costly and so
it is rarely attempted. Sick dogs are net cash absorbers and can become a perpetual cash
trap.
The product life cycle - entire industry

The new product development process

Idea generation
Internal External
R & D department, committee or
task force
Suppliers or market intermediaries
Top executives Customers
Sales representatives Competition
Production staff Freelance inventors
Other company employees Consultants
Noncompetitive firms Patent applications
The public

The objective of idea generation is to gather as many ideas as possible and from any and all
possible sources. Possible sources include:
Ideas for new products can be obtained from basic research using a SWOT analysis.
Lots of ideas are generated about the new product. Out of these ideas many are implemented.
The ideas are generated in many forms. Many reasons are responsible for generation of an
idea.
Idea Generation or Brainstorming of new product, service, or store concepts - idea generation
techniques can begin when you have done your OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS to support
your ideas in the Idea Screening Phase (shown in the next development step).
Idea Screening
The object is to eliminate unsound concepts prior to devoting resources to them.
The screeners should ask several questions:
Will the customer in the target market benefit from the product?
What is the size and growth forecasts of the market segment / target market?
What is the current or expected competitive pressure for the product idea?
What are the industry sales and market trends the product idea is based on?
Is it technically feasible to manufacture the product?
Will the product be profitable when manufactured and delivered to the customer at the target
price?
A checklist for screening new product ideas

Concept Development and Testing
Develop the marketing and R&D details Investigate intellectual property issues and search
patent databases
Who is the target market and who is the decision maker in the purchasing process?
What product features must the product incorporate?
What benefits will the product provide?
How will consumers react to the product?
How will the product be produced most cost effectively?
Prove feasibility through virtual computer aided rendering and rapid prototyping
What will it cost to produce it?
Testing the Concept by asking a number of prospective customers what they think of the idea
- usually
Business Analysis
Estimate likely selling price based upon competition and customer feedback
Estimate sales volume based upon size of market
Estimate profitability and break-even point
Beta Testing and Market Testing
Produce a physical prototype or mock-up
Test the product in typical usage situations
Conduct focus group customer interviews or introduce at trade show
Make adjustments where necessary
Produce an initial run of the product and sell it in a test market area to determine customer
acceptance
Technical Implementation
New program initiation
Finalize Quality management system
Resource estimation
Requirement publication
Publish technical communications such as data sheets
Engineering operations planning
Department scheduling
Supplier collaboration
Logistics plan
Resource plan publication
Program review and monitoring
Contingencies - what-if planning
Commercialization
(often considered post-NPD) Launch the product
Produce and place advertisements and other promotions
Fill the distribution pipeline with product
Critical path analysis is most useful at this stage
New Product Pricing
Impact of new product on the entire product portfolio
Value Analysis (internal & external)
Competition and alternative competitive technologies
Differing value segments (price, value and need)
Product Costs (fixed & variable)
Forecast of unit volumes, revenue, and profit