PRODUCT LAUNCH PROCESS

Introduction

Once a product is developed, effectively product launch becomes the critical step to its success. The Product Launch
Process must address all the steps necessary to start volume production, plan and execute marketing activities,
develop needed documentation, train sales and support personnel (internal and external), fill channels, and prepare
to install and support the product. Product Launch activities are described in more detail in our Product Launch
page.

Benefits

An improved product launch process results in faster time-to-market and time-to-profit. Activities are better planned
and coordinated and more tightly integrated. System data requirements are better understood, and systems may be
better integrated. he result is better production ramp-up, more effective marketing, a sales force better prepared to
begin selling the new product, and a service and support group better able to service and support th new product,
leading to greater customer acceptance.

Our Approach

We can assist in fine-tuning and improving the product launch process by performing the following activities.

1. Review current product launch process. Identify needed activities, deliverables and system requirements
(inputs and outputs). Determine organizational responsibilities and interfaces. Identify issues and goals.
Our Product Development and Best Practices Assessment provides a framework for this review. Activities
covered in our review include:
o Testing, qualification and certification
o Pilot production and process prove-out
o Forecasting and ERP set-up
o Vendor qualification
o Product and service manuals
o Package design
o Marketing and advertising program design and execution
o Market testing
o Sales and distribution planning
o Sales, support and service training
o Spare parts planning and logistics
2. Develop improved process. Based on understanding the current process and process goals, we would work
with a team of your people to develop an improved process. The process improvements would be defined
in terms of activities, process outputs or deliverables, responsibilities, and gate review and design review
(e.g., production readiness review, etc.) requirements. Our PD-Trak tools may provide an improved means
to document and control this process.
3. Integrate organization. In addition to identifying and improved process flow and activity definition, we
have found that a common problem is the need for improved organizational integration within the product
team responsible for development. We would determine responsibilities, identify organizational
impediments, suggest changes, and facilitate team launch activities.
4. Determine system integration requirements. Product data management (PDM) system tools provide a
repository for product data during development. As a product moves into production, much of this data
needs to be made available to Manufacturing and systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
Our expertise with PDM and ERP, enables us to identify how and when data should be established in an
ERP system and consider any system integration opportunities. We can also address opportunities to move
from a more limited PDM system to a broader Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system approach. In
 addition, technical data needs to be used to create product documentation, marketing materials, sales and
support training materials with technical publications and authoring systems. Our working relationship with
the Time-to- Performance Group provides the expertise to evaluate and improve technical and marketing
document management systems.
5. Develop plan templates. Based on the revised process and organization approach, we would develop a
standard launch planning approach and planning templates using tools such as PD-Trak, MS Word and MS
Project.
6. Deploy improved process and tools. After these improved processes and tools were developed, we would
begin by piloting them on a new product about to be launched. This approach would prove-out the process
and tools, gathering valuable experience, and identify any issues that need to be addressed or improved
before full deployment. Once the pilot was satisfactorily completed, we would develop a plan for full
deployment, provide required training, and, if desired, manage the implementation of the new process.
7. Develop product launch plans. We can also assist with developing product launch plans through either
facilitating discussions or developing draft plans for review. We can provide marketing and advertising
experts from our associated firms to help in those areas as well.

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS

DRM Associates provides new product development (NPD) consulting. We sponsor the
Product Development Forum , a source of information, resources and links on NPD. Our
clients frequently have complex products and development processes typified by the
aerospace, automotive, capital equipment, consumer products, defense, electronics, high
technology and medical equipment industries. We help improve your new product
development process, plan new products, and assist product teams. We can provide
consulting assistance, software tools, and training such as the following:

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING SERVICES

Product Development Assessment

Best Practices and Benchmarking

CAD/CAM System Audit

Configuration Management and Engineering Change Control

Design for Manufacturability/Assembly

Design to Cost and Cost Management

Design Review and Gate Review Process

Integrated Product Development Fast Track Implementation

Lean Product Development

Organizational Development and Team-Building

Pipeline and Resource Management

Product Data Management System Implementation

Product Development Process Definition and Improvement

Product Launch

Product Planning and Strategy

Project Launch

Product Launch Planning and Execution

Project Planning and Management

Portfolio Management

Quality Function Deployment

Reducing Time-to-Market or Time-to-Profit

Requirements Definition and Product Planning

Supplier Development

Supplier Integration & Supply Chain Planning

Target Costing

Value Engineering and Value Analysis

Voice of the Customer

NPD SOFTWARE TOOLS

Product Development Best Practices and Assessment (Enterprise Assessment)

Integrated Product & Process Development Program Assessment

Product Development Toolkit (QFD, Target Cost, DFA, FMEA and Control Plan Software)

Design for Manufacturability/Assembly Checklists

PD-Trak NPD Project and Portfolio Management System (Stage/Phase-Gate, Portfolio

Management & Pipeline Management)

Critical Chain Project Management Software (CCPM Add-On Software to MS Project)

Bill of Material and Supplier Plan Tools

 WORKSHOP & TRAINING

Complete Summary of NPD/IPD Training

Assessing and Improving Product Development Workshop

Best Practices of Integrated Product Development Workshop

Concept Development Workshop

Critical Chain Project Management Workshop

Design for Manufacturability/Assembly Workshop

Design for Serviceability Workshop

Design for Six Sigma Workshop

Design to Cost Workshop

Design of Experiments Workshop

Engineering Project Planning and Leadership

Essential Interpersonal Skills for Technical Professionals

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis Workshop

Integrated Product & Process Development Workshop

Leadership Skills for Engineers and Technical Professionals

Lean Design Workshop

Lean Product Development Workshop

Lean Project Management Workshop

Managing Product Development Workshop

Mistake-Proofing by Design Workshop

Optimizing Time to Market and Efficiency

Portfolio Management Workshop

Product Launch Workshop

Project Management with Microsoft Project™ Workshop

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Workshop

Requirements Definition Workshop

R&D Performance Measurement and KPI Systems Workshop

Robust Tolerance Analysis Workshop

Target Costing Workshop

Team Launch Workshop

Tear-Down Analysis Workshop

Value Analysis/Function Analysis Workshop

Value Management - SAVE Certified Module 1

Voice of the Customer Workshop

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

DRM Associates offers an extensive range of workshops to provide practical training in new product development;
best practices; and the various methods and tools to plan, manage and support product development, portfolio and
pipeline management, project management, and engineering management.

Assessing and Improving Product Development Workshop

This one-half-day workshop covers the methodology for benchmarking best practices to assess and improve an
organization's product development environment using DRM Associates proven Product Development Assessment
(PDA) methodology and/or the Product Development Best Practices and Assessment (PDBPA) software or IPPD
Program Assessment (IPPDPA) software.

Best Practices of Integrated Product Development Workshop

This one- to three-day workshop is based on our framework of 270 best practices for product development that we
have maintained over the last fourteen years. These best practices address the dimensions of strategy, organization,
process, design optimization, and technology tools. The workshop can include exercises to reinforce the concepts
presented. A three-day version of the workshop can be oriented towards product development professionals and
functional managers or a one-day version can be oriented to executive management.

Concept Development Workshop

This three-day, workshop addresses the process for determining customer needs and requirements (voice of the
customer), developing a product specification, creating concept alternatives, and evaluating and selecting a preferred
concept approach. The workshop is spaced out over the course of this process to provide on-the-job training with an
actual project.

Critical Chain Project Management Workshop

Critical Chain (first introduced in 1997 by Theory of Constraints guru, Eli Goldratt) is a practical and proven
method to manage the risk and uncertainty which is typically found in product development projects. This two-day,
practical, hands-on workshop covers Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) from project planning to
execution.

Design for Manufacturability/Assembly Workshop

This three-day workshop is oriented to development personnel. The workshop includes many examples to illustrate
DFM/A principles and exercises to develop practical DFM/A skills analyzing a design for manufacturability. It also
introduces a DFM/A assessment methodology that can be subsequently used within the company to analyze its
products. The third day is primarily spent analyzing either an existing company product or products under
development using either commercial DFM/A software or our DFM/A analysis methodology.
Design for Serviceability Workshop
This one-day, practical, hands-on workshop covers the principles of design for serviceability and maintainability
illustrating these principles with numerous examples of good and bad application examples. The workshop includes
exercises to reinforce understanding of principles. The final exercise uses one or more of your company's products
to analyze its serviceability and identify changes to improve the serviceability of the design.

Design for Six Sigma Workshop

This three-day workshop covers the principles of design for six sigma following the IDOV (identify, design,
optimize and validate) framework. It covers the various principles, tools and methodologies related to each phase of
the IDOV framework with examples and exercises to develop an understanding of the DFSS approach.

Design to Cost Workshop

This two-day workshop is oriented towards product development professionals and management responsible for
developing products that meet customer affordability requirements. While it addresses the concepts of target costing
and cost as an independent variable (CAIV), it primarily focuses on design-to-cost (DTC) and the tools and
methodologies to achieve DTC including use of QFD to balance cost with product performance/capability, design
for manufacturability/assembly, DFX, value analysis, use of product cost models, attacking indirect costs and
integrating these methodologies into an organization's development process. An optional third day can be spent
applying DTC concepts to the analysis of company products.

Design of Experiments Workshop

This practical, two-day workshop serves as a broad introduction to designed experiments including fractional
factorial (screening experiments) and response surface studies. It further teaches you to perform one type of
designed experiment called a screening experiment. A screening experiment is a systematic approach to identifying
the key input parameters of a process or product that affect the output performance. You will become proficient at
designing, analyzing and interpreting screening experiments by working three real-life problems.

Engineering Project Planning and Leadership

Engineers involved in product development face many difficult challenges above and beyond solving technical
problems. Engineering projects require skills such as leadership, planning, estimating, scheduling, collaboration and
communication skills. All individual contributors need these skills, and for those who lead projects and teams of any
size – these skills are critical. This two-day workshop educates project leaders and individual contributors about the
fundamentals and some advanced project leadership and planning topics and enables them to complete projects more
successfully.

Essential Interpersonal Skills for Technical Professionals

This one-day workshop addresses the essential interpersonal and business skills needed by technical professional
focusing the most important competencies that apply to most technical jobs. Participants engage in exercises and
leave with tools that help them continuously develop these competencies.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Workshop

The objective of this three- to four-day hands-on workshop is to create a Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
(DFMEA) and supporting Design Verification Plan on a product of the participants' choice. Alternately, the
workshop can be oriented to developing a Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA). It can further be
oriented toward hardware or software products. A one- or two-day introductory version of this workshop is also
available.

Integrated Product & Process Development Workshop

This one- to three-day workshop covers the concepts and best practices on IPPD. It is intended for government
contractors, government acquisition organizations, and program offices. The workshop covers program planning
with IPPD; integrated product teams; integration of subcontractor, contractor and customer; requirements definition,
an IPPD-oriented development process, design automation technology, and implementing IPPD practices. The
workshop can include exercises to reinforce the concepts presented. This workshop can be oriented towards
customers, program management, product development professionals and functional managers. The one-day version
can be oriented to executive management.

Leadership Skills for Engineers and Technical Professionals

This one-day workshop teaches skills needed to lead projects, drive innovation, and influence others in an
engineering role or similar technical role. Participants learn the differences between leadership and management and
how to develop specific leadership skills that are important to ALL engineers and technical professionals.
Participants engage in exercises that assess their individual leadership abilities and provide guidance for further skill
development.

Lean Design Workshop

This three- to five-day workshop teaches how to develop a product design that maximizes the customers value
proposition, thereby meeting customer needs with a minimum of waste. It begins with the principles of lean and how
they apply to a product's design. It covers understanding the voice of the customer to how to most cost effectively
address the customer's needs with the product's design. The principles covered in this workshop are illustrated with
numerous examples and reinforced through a series of exercises.

Lean Product Development Workshop

This two- to three-day workshop addresses the principles and practices of lean product development which is
focused on reducing waste, work-in-process, and cycle time for product development. It also addresses lean design
which focuses on reducing waste in the form of higher cost and poor quality in the design of the product itself.

Lean Project Management Workshop

This is a two-day, practical, hands-on workshop to apply lean principles to managing multiple projects in a product
development system. Create a "PULL" system for projects that reduces queues and optimizes development batch
sizes. Reduce waste in project planning. Increase speed (i.e., reduce cycle times) in project execution and deliver
projects on-time.

Managing Product Development Workshop

The one- to three-day workshop presents an integrated approach to managing product development covering project
management, process management, pipeline management and portfolio management. It is intended for process
improvement team members, project managers, team leaders, functional managers, and executive management.

Managing the Product Lifecycle to Maximize Profitability Workshop

In vigorously competitive markets characterised by compressed product life spans, increased competition, and profit
pressure, you need to understand how to assess the performance of your current product or service within the context
of established business plans and marketing programs, and how to revise your strategies and tactics to sustain the
product. This two- to three-day workshop is intended for product managers, marketing personnel, project managers
and other development personnel to address how to monitor the marketplace and competition, plan your product,
analyze profitability, launch your product, extend its life and finally, phase-out your product at the end of its life.

Mistake-Proofing By Design Workshop

This one- to two-day workshop describes the principles of mistake-proofing or poka-yoke and the evolutionary step
of addressing mistake-proofing during development versus installing mistake-proofing devices and approaches on
the factory floor after the product has been put into production. The workshop includes many practical examples to
illustrate the principles. The second day includes exercises to develop mistake-proofing approaches with your
current products and/or conducting a factory walk-through to explore mistake-proofing opportunities.

Optimizing Time to Market and Efficiency

This one- to three-day workshop focuses on key aspects of the product development cycle where significant time to
market and efficiency improvement opportunities exist in most organizations. Participants learn how to assess and
balance tradeoffs that affect both time to market and efficiency. Topics can include how to improve project
performance through the product proposal and definition phase, how to increase innovative contributions, and an
overview or in-depth analysis of technology roadmapping can be presented. Other topics might be included
depending on specific needs.

Portfolio Management Workshop

This two-day workshop is intended to teach participants the principles, practices and methods of portfolio
management. A second objective is to define the portfolio management process, practices and responsibilities within
your company. It is intended for executive management, product managers, engineering management, marketing
management, and portfolio analysts responsible for or supporting portfolio management. The workshop includes a
series of discussions and planning steps to define the portfolio management process, practices and methods to be
used within your organization.

Product Data Management Workshop

This one-day workshop describes the elements of product data management (PDM) systems, discusses how to
effectively use a PDM system, and the process of implementing a product data management system.

Product Development Team/Integrated Product Team Workshop

This is a one-day program that describes how to effectively form and operate product development or integrated
product teams (PDT/IPT) teams. The workshop is oriented towards management to provide an understanding of the
organizational environment that leads to effective teams. It covers PDT/IPT composition and organization, roles and
responsibilities, PDT/IPT management, issue resolution, and the critical success factors for effective PDT's or IPT's.

Product Launch Workshop

This one-day workshop addresses the practices and required planning for a successful product launch. It is intended
for Product Managers, Marketing personnel, Project Managers, and Sales management who have responsibility for
or support go-to-market activities. The workshop will not only cover the process of a successful product launch, but
will also provide supporting worksheets and templates that can used in your organization.

Project Management Fundamentals for Product Development Workshop

This two-day workshop teaches fundamentals of project management in a practical, discussion-based forum. The
scope includes both the process of project management as well as the skills needed to be an effective project
manager. Prior to the workshop some historic projects will be identified to use as case studies to be used during the
training. For each major topic these projects will be discussed to illustrate areas of historic success and areas needing
improvement. The final step in the workshop is to develop an action plan to improve the project management
process and skills of the participants.

Project Management with Microsoft Project™ Workshop

This one- to two-day, hands-on workshop covers project management basic and intermediate skills and addresses
how to develop a project plan and manage execution of the project using the Microsoft Project™ software. This
workshop is specifically oriented to product development projects. The workshop illustrates the project management
process with an actual project and then reinforces understanding with a series of exercises using MS Project™. The
standard exercises can also be adapted to plan the participant's projects to create more immediate value. The
workshop can be be adapted to cover the features available in MS Project 2000™, MS Project 2003™, or MS
Project 2007™.

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Workshop

This is a two- to three-day, hands-on workshop. Workshop exercises utilizing actual product hardware are used
extensively to develop a practical understanding of how to use QFD to capture the voice of the customer (VOC),
perform competitive analysis, develop a product strategy, and derive product requirements. Part of the third day can
be used to transition from the classroom to the workplace using QFD with your own products.

R&D Performance Measurement and KPI Systems

This two-day workshop provides a comprehensive investigation of proven methods for measuring and improving
R&D performance considering the broad range of factors (Key Performance Indicators or KPI's) that affect the R&D
function. Details related to the most relevant performance indicators and metrics are explored in depth. The primary
objective of this course is to help participants apply the “right” measurement systems and take appropriate actions to
improve results.

Requirements Definition Workshop

This two- to three-day workshop is intended to develop the practical skills to determine customer needs and derive
product requirements and critical to quality characteristics. It is intended for product managers, project managers,
design engineers and marketing personnel responsible for developing a product definition or product requirements
document. The workshop uses a series of exercises with a real product to develop a practical understanding of the
requirements definition process. The three-day version of the workshop is intended for more complex products that
require a flow-down of requirements and further requirements definition at a subsystem, module, or key component
level.

Robust Tolerance Analysis Workshop

This two-day workshop teaches you a practical approach for selecting targets and tolerances for both products and
processes in order to improve quality, reduce costs and reduce variation. Many real world examples are worked in
class including the design of a pump and the setting of a process window for a heat seal machine. The course
provides practical strategies and tools for dealing with real-world complexities.

Target Costing Workshop

This is a three-day workshop for management and development personnel responsible for establishing and using a
target costing process. It addresses establishing a target price, determining the target cost, tracking achievement of
the target cost, use of product cost models to support decision-making, and design-to-cost techniques to achieve cost
reduction.

Team Building Workshop

This two-day workshop is structured with short presentations on each topic and includes extensive team exercises
and interactive learning experiences. It provides team members and team leaders with specific skills to work
together effectively as part of a product development team/integrated product team.

Team Launch Workshop

This two-day workshop is designed for new or existing teams responsible for product development. Its objective is
to improve team dynamics; accelerate the stages of growth toward a high performing team; and develop an
understanding of the IPT's responsibilities, plans and team interfaces with the rest of the extended enterprise. The
workshop combines teambuilding exercises (meeting skills, communication skills, personality styles) and planning
exercises focused at the details of the team function (roles and relationships, team inputs/outputs, team charter, team
deliverables and schedules). Pre-workshop preparation is required to support workshop exercises.

Team Leader Workshop

This one-day workshop provides an understanding of leadership vs. management, develops leadership skills,
determines team leader responsibilities, teaches how to motivate people, addresses personality and style differences,
and develops skills to facilitate improvement in teamwork. The workshop combines leadership exercises and group
process exercises to develop leadership, coaching, and facilitative skills necessary for an effective team leader. Pre-
workshop preparation is required to support workshop exercises.

Tear-Down Analysis Workshop

This four- to five-day workshop acquaints participants with Japanese style tear-down analysis. Workshop
participants should also expect to develop proposals ready for implementation on any projects approved for the
workshop. This method of teardown analysis has demonstrated its substantial impact to the margins of corporations
across Japan. All tear-down techniques are covered in this workshop: Dynamic Tear-down, Cost Tear-down,
Material Tear-down, Matrix Tear-down, Process Tear-down and Static Tear-down. Those methods that are
appropriate are used for the team analysis. Creativity and idea evaluation are a part of all workshops. While the
workshop includes formalized training, most of workshop involves hands-on tear-down analysis of your and your
competitor's products. Formal report-outs of results are all tailored to meet the needs of the client.
Value Analysis/Function Analysis Workshop
This one-day workshop covers the concepts and methods of value analysis or function analysis including the
Function Analysis System Technique (FAST). The workshop includes hands-on exercises to learn by doing and
begins the transition back to the workplace by applying FAST to a real world product from your company. It is
intended for product development professionals or members of a cost reduction team.

Value Management - SAVE Certified Module 1

The objective of this five-day workshop is to acquaint participants with the methodology of Value Management
(VM) and its decision-making process. Workshop participants should also expect to develop proposals ready for
implementation on any projects approved for the workshop. This Module I course teaches VM in a hands-on,
project-based manner. During the workshop, participants will engage in "real-time" decision-making using VM
tools, to ensure quality and value while reducing the cost of their projects. Participants will apply the VM
methodology and decision-making skills to an actual project to gain practical experience using what they learn.
Since this seminar is approved by SAVE International, individuals planning to become Associate or Certified Value
Specialists need to attend. Upon completion, each participant will be awarded a certificate and those wishing to take
the SAVE AVS exam may do so, providing advance notice is given.

Voice of the Customer Workshop

This one- to three-day, hands-on workshop addresses the importance of capturing the voice of the customer (VOC)
to drive product development, presents how to undertake various VOC methodologies, discusses when they should
be used, and leads participants through the process of planning how to capture the VOC. The workshop includes
exercises to develop practical experience with various VOC methods and results in the development of a VOC plan
for an actual product opportunity.