NEW PRODCUT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: KEY CONSTRUCTS

1
NEW PRODCUT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMKEY CONSTRUCTS

• CUSTOMER KNOWLEDGE PROCESS
• In our new product development program
• We rarely/regularly meet customers to learn their
  current and potential needs for new products.
• Our knowledge of customer needs is
  scant/thorough.
• We rarely/regularly use research procedures, e.g.
  personal interviews, focus groups, and surveys,
  to gather customer information.
• We casually/systematically process and analyze
  customer information.
• Customer information is barely/fully integrated
  in new software design.
• We seldom/regularly use customers to test and
  evaluate new products.
• We barely/fully understand our customers
  business.
• We rarely/regularly study customers operations
  for new product development.

2

• MARKETING RD INTERFACE
• In our new product development program, marketing
  and RD
• Rarely/regularly communicate for new product
  development.
• Rarely/regularly share information on customers.
• Rarely/regularly share information about
  competitors products and strategies. (reverse
  coding)
• Seldom/fully cooperate in establishing new
  product develoment goals and priorities.
• Seldom/fully cooperate in generating and
  screening new product ideas and testing concepts.
• Seldom/fully cooperate in evaluating and refining
  new software.
• Are inadequately/fully represented on our product
  development team. (reverse coding)
• Technological knowledge and market knowledge are
  never/fully integrated in our new product
  development.

3

• COMPETITOR KNOWLEDGE PROCESS
• In our new product development program
• We rarely/regularly search and collect
  information about our competitors product and
  strategies.
• We casually/systematically analyze information
  about competitors.
• Information about competitors products is
  scarcely/fully integrated as a benchmark in our
  product design.
• Our knowledge of our competitors strengths and
  weaknesses is scant/thorough.
• We rarely/regularly study our competitors
  software.

4

• RD STRENGTH
• What is your annual RD expenditure as a
  percentage of sales?
• How would you compare the level of your annual
  RD expenditure with your largest competitors?
  Ours is much lower/higher.
• How would you compare the strength of your
  companys proprietary technology with your
  largest competitors? Ours is much weaker/much
  stronger.