Developing Products in Half the Time (Industrial Engineering)

Refreshingly practical answers to the question of how to get good products out faster are revealed in this book. With a holistic treatment of the development cycle, the authors--seasoned specialists in rapid product development--show what works, what doesn't, and why. Numerous examples are dissected to illustrate techniques that can increase development. 55 line drawings.

Developing Products in Half the Time is a classic on the art and science of competitive product development. This is a real manager's book, one that takes a sophisticated view of project dynamics, corporate structures, and the people who ultimately make projects succeed. Each of its 16 chapters is a self-contained examination of a single aspect or stage of the development process, and the whole adds up to a rational and well-considered approach transferable to real-world situations. Featured topics include the definition of rational product objectives, the creation of economic models for a new product, the management of a project's "fuzzy" early stages, staffing and motivational issues, organization and project management, the relationship between design and manufacturing, and risk management.

This volume is an expanded reprint of the 1991 hardcover edition, with an additional chapter that reviews the original 15 sections in light of the authors' experiences with clients. Although the authors writes primarily for managers in product manufacturing, much of their methodology is applicable to other fields, particularly software engineering.