New Product Development (NDP)

Introduction

Products act as the main source of monetary benefits that organisation organisations enjoy upon availing them to willing clients. An organisation may decide to increase its sales returns by colonising new markets. Due to differences in the needs of the target consumers in different markets, it may be compelled to either improve or develop completely new products to suit a market (Kim & Wilemon, 2007).

This strategy is perhaps largely workable for Google when it chose to enter the Chinese market. Considering that the goal of new product development (NPD) entails coming up with products that succeed in a target market, using the case of Google China, this paper investigates the processes of developing such commodities.

Purpose

This paper discusses new product development at Google China. The discussion borrows from various theoretical frameworks for developing new products in organisations. The paper also conducts interviews on customers and company employees about the reception of Google Chinas new products with the aim of developing an understanding on the effectiveness of NPD practices of the company.

Background

First led by Kai-Fu Lee, Google China began as a subsidiary of Google Company in 2005. It ranks the third position in the Chinese market after Soso and the Baidu. Carsten (2013) informs how it controlled a market size of about 338 million people in 2009.

Over the years, the company has been struggling to expand its market. However, it has encountered immense challenges akin to the various legal regulations on search engines in Chinas mainland. In 2010, Google searches were prohibited for some time in Chinas mainland. Mobile searches and others yielded DNS errors (Carsten, 2013).

Hong Kong does not censor search results for various search engines. Google China found it the most appropriate location from where to control the sharing of networking and information resources across the internet with Google customers who are located in the China.

Marketing successful Google products elsewhere across the globe in the Chinese market is incredibly difficult because of censorship and other regulations on information sharing. The company endeavours to search new products that fit the Chinese search marketplace.

For instance, it presumes that the software for android Smartphones has a high potential to succeed in the Chinese market. Google had controlled 29 percent of the total search market in China by 2010. However, this trend declined by 24 percent over 2012 before settling at 1.7 at the close of 2013 (Carsten, 2013).

This poor performance attracted the necessity for the development of new products that suit the Chinese market. This case has been given priority if Google China has to operate in the market with success in the future.

Scope

New product development comprises all approaches that are applied to avail new products in all markets where an organisations operations are established. These strategies include idea development, design of the products, its engineering, marketing research, and promotion analysis.

The scope of this paper is limited to product design, idea development, and engineering. The other two aspects (marketing analysis and research) focus on ensuring acceptance and performance of the products in the marketplace.

Methodology

This research uses both primary and secondary resources. Direct online interviews, which are conducted on employees and customers of Google China, are the sources of primary data. The interview questions are designed to eliminate ambiguity. This situation enhances clarity so that interviewees can respond accurately.

The interviews (as shown in appendix 1 and appendix 2) focus on determining the reception of Google products, which the Chinese people search consumers. The questions also target at determining the implication of censorship upon the consumption of the product. This information may provide an opportunity for benchmarking or reverse engineering in the development of new products that suit the Chinese consumers.

A sample of 20 people (customers and Google China employees) was interviewed. Primary data is important in helping develop thumbnails for products that are likely to succeed in the Chinese market.

However, the development of the actual products requires the deployment of an appropriate NPD conceptual model. Therefore, a wide range of secondary data on frameworks of NPD becomes important. The most appropriate framework is then selected for analysis of Google Chinas NPD processes.

Assumptions

The models deployed in the discussion of NPD are borrowed from secondary resources. Such models are developed for application in general organisations without considering specific needs in some markets.

This research assumes that upon generation of ideas that measure up to the needs of the Chinese market, Goggle China can follow such models to create products that will succeed in the Chinese marketplace. The research also assumes that no other recent or better NPD models exist in unpublished scholarly works and/or stored in a form that is inaccessible through online libraries.

Limitations

Using online interviews to collect data in a nation where there is regulation of freedom of expression through online media is one of the major limitations of this research. Fear among the interviewees on the purpose or use of the information that is sought from them may increase their reluctance to participate in the interviews.

This situation has the implication of lowering the accuracy and reliability of the research findings and the offered recommendations. The approaches deployed by Google in NPD may also differ from those applied by other organisations. Thus, the process of generalising and applying the recommended NPD processes in other organisations is another limitation of the research.

Frameworks

Sequential Model

The sequential model depicts the process that leads to the development of new products. It comprises a number of sequentially organised steps (Smith & Reinertsen, 1998).

Application to the Organisation

Sequential model in figure 1 shows that NPD initiates with the development of the concept or a product idea before examination of the feasibility of the products. This case makes the model highly applicable in Google China since the challenge of developing new products that meet the needs of the Chinas search market requires compliance with Chinas rules and regulations.

The feasibility of the product must be evaluated in the context of legal and regulatory environment so that a failure to pass the feasibility test calls for a re-examination of the concept before any other effort to develop the product further.

Aspects such as the quality of the product and its capacity to satisfy of customer needs are also accomplished at the feasibility stage (Smith & Reinertsen, 1998). In fact, at Google China, organisational resources can be wasted if software and applications developers initiate NPD process without total assurance of the likelihood of acceptance of the new product as it progresses in each stage of development.

Overlapping Model

The overlapping model approaches NPD process through the interactions of various professionals and work teams from the beginning to the end. Rather than operating through specialised stages, contribution of all players in the development process ensures attention to varying ideas since the development process takes place (Ulrich & Eppinger, 2004).

Under the model, each of the stages of NPD initiates before the end of the preceding stage (Ulrich & Eppinger, 2004). Additionally, new product developers at one stage pre-visit the previous stage in an attempt to incorporate various changes to eliminate cascading bugs in the current stage from the previous stage as illustrated in figure 2 below.

Overlapping Model in Product Development
Figure 2: Overlapping Model in Product Development. Source: (Ulrich & Eppinger, 2004)

Application to the Organisation

While developing new Google Chinas products, several variables may influence the success or failure of the overall development process.

While implementing a phase in the NPD process, it important to consider the necessary changes in the previous phases in an effort to incorporate them in the second phase to increase the probability of success of later phases. For instance, it is important to evaluate a phase in the context of the likely omissions of legal requirements as they apply in Chinas search industry.

Innovation Value Chain Framework
Innovation Value Chain Framework. Source: (Hansen & Birkinshaw, 2007)

Projected by Hansen and Birkinshaw (2007), the innovation value chain scheme presents four chronological stages, namely creation of thoughts, selection of the appropriate idea, transformation, and idea execution.

The model provides an in-depth examination of an organisations efficacy through KPI constraints for gauging production capacity. The framework may be fruitful at Google China since it can be tailored to diverse production stages within the company

Application to the Organisation

The usability of the value chain framework to different sectors within Google China makes it feasible to gauge the circulation of various production strategies across many systems while at the same time weighing production at different departments that make the company.

The framework can come in handy while determining production at Google China by enlightening its expenditure in IP security and/or in structuring its status to advance its production volume.

High-Tech model

Google China operates in a technology intensive industry. This environment underlines the necessity for considering NPD models that are applicable to such an industry. Cooper and Edgett (2010) assert that high-tech organisations need to establish NPD models that incorporate their business objectives and specific goals. They suggested an NPD model that concentrates on these aspects.

NPD comprises various stages, namely thought formation, plan selection, model testing and expansion, industry scrutiny, beta testing, bazaar investigation, methodological execution, commercialisation, and pricing of the new product (Cooper & Edgett, 2010). However, the plan deviates from the sequential and overlapping models.

It features a special concept, namely strategic arena, which only applies in high technology organisations (Cooper & Edgett, 2010). This aspect refers to the particular business-oriented bazaar, trade, applications, merchandise category, technology, or simply efforts that are concentrated on a new product (Zemlickien, 2011). The model also highlights the importance of the use of strategic maps in the NPD process.

Application to the Organisation

Strategic maps help in assessing the most effective and important strategic arena (Zemlickien, 2011). This claim suggests that they offer mechanisms of evaluating and visualising the mechanisms of addressing various factors that influence the NPD process.

For Google China, strategic maps provide a room for incorporation of environmental factors that control the companys success in the Chinese search market. In this sense, the model provides mechanisms for ensuring the development of customised Google products that are likely to boost the organisations competitive advantage in the Chinese market.

Diamond Production Framework

The diamond framework, which makes part of Porters work that sought to address the issue of competition disparities with reference to different products, has five key production elements, namely product upgrading and technology plan, idea-to-launch procedure administration, portfolio supervision, atmosphere, traditions, headship, and new product performance.

Diamond Production Framework
Source: (Rugman & DCruz, 1993)

Application in the Organisation

Using this framework, Google China can think about three foremost matters, i.e. the availability of a premeditated product arrangement to advance its production levels, configuration of the plan with the companys approaches, and the existence of reputable systems for ensuring successful execution of business strategies

Critical Analysis

Gaps Identified

The aim of approaching the problem of NPD in the context of a conceptual model that has various decision loops or algorithms is to ensure a reduction of bugs that result in failures of new products either in the development process or soon after completion of the entire process.

Identifying gaps in the organisations approach to NPD can help conceptualise an alternative approach to NPD, which will lead to the development of new products that have a higher probability of success in the market (Ulrich & Eppinger, 2004).

Google China uses NPD plan based on the standardised NPD model deployed by its parent company across all other markets, notwithstanding special laws and regulations in the Chinese market. This gap may explain the reduced success of Google success in China between 2010 and 2013 as discussed before.

Strengths

Although different NPD models have their strengths and weaknesses, consideration of strengths and weakness of the organisation in any market, which prompts the development of a new product is incredibly important. Google China has a large resource base support from the parent company akin to its successful global operations (Carsten, 2013).

The resources can be utilised in marketing research to identify specific attributes for search engines that are valued by Chinese search consumers. This information can be deployed as inputs of idea conception stage, which is common to sequential, overlapping, and high-tech models, to enhance utility levels of new products in the market.

Weaknesses

Due to declining competitive advantage in the Chinese market, the company may encounter challenges while trying to place its new products successfully in the Chinese market. This possibility is a significant weakness upon considering that it has a low presence in the social media advertising.

New media advertising constitutes one of the growing ways of communicating a product to consumers (Kotler, Adam, Denise, & Armstrong, 2009). The company has no capacity to solicit for relaxation of Chinese laws and regulations on search engines.

These inabilities create uncertainty on whether the nation will enact new laws that can create a non-conducive political climate for success of new products that are developed consistently with the provisions of the current laws.

Recommendations

In a market where the existing products of an organisation perform poorly, introduction of new products becomes the only option to re-energise its operations. Developing a new product begins with the identification of an appropriate NPD model. Google Company approaches NPD from the context of examining ideas from its people.

It prioritises the top most100 ideas, utilises agile approaches, promotes visibility, and/or pays attention to usability of its products. This approach fails to incorporate regulations such as censorship.

The model generally applies in nations that have higher levels of freedom for expression and sharing of information. Thus, it is recommended for the company to incorporate this consideration while at the same time deploying either high-tech or overlapping NPD approaches in the Chinese market.

Conclusion

Organisational products undergo different phases, namely the development phase, the preamble stage, rapid growth stage, maturation, and decline phase. At the decline phase, re-engineering or developing new products is important to prevent a total collapse of the organisation in a given market.

Google China recognises the importance of developing a new product that will renew its fortunes in the Chinese market. NPD starts with identifying an appropriate model. The paper has discussed three NPD models together with their applicability at Google China.

Reflection

Any organisation that seeks to gain a competitive advantage in a market that is characterised by competition and statutory regulations must not only focus on compliance, but also look for products that meet consumer needs better than the competitor products.

Through this assignment, I have learnt that introducing organisations operation in a new market requires the development or modification of products to meet specific needs of the market. The objective of any organisation is to deliver value to its owners.

This value is normally expressed in terms of the returns on investments. Organisations face the pressure of delivering value to not only to the owners, but also to other stakeholders who have stakes in the performance of the firm (Cooper & Edgett, 2010).

This goal cannot be achieved without high-performing products in the market since sales act as the main way of generating income in a profit-making organisation.

By studying the case of Google Chinas struggles in establishing itself in the Chinese search market, I have leant that total assessment and analysis of the organisational operation environment is important in avoiding failures in placing products in the new marketplace.

Through the assignment, it is evident that the rules of new product development change with the changing external forces as an organisation ventures into different markets. This situation has altered my perception of new product development process as encompassing a holistic approach, which can be applied within any organisation with success.

Initially, I viewed product development as a process that constitutes all steps that are necessary for ensuring that a new product satisfies the needs of the target market in terms of usability. However, it is now clear that although a product may be highly usable, a regulatory force can prevent its consumption in the market.

Google Company has been successful in the global search market. Many organisations, especially software and networking applications companies, have benchmarked their NPD processes with those of Google. I believe Google Company is one of the global organisations whose products have received positive reception in all markets.

However, through the assignment, it is clear that no single companys NPD strategies can lead to the creation of new successful products in all markets. Thus, although benchmarking is essential, it is important for an organisation to approach new markets in an open-minded manner.

This case ensures that the input for idea conception, analysis, and testing only depends on the anticipated environmental variables, but not on other variables that apply in another market segment.

This assignment has provided a learning opportunity on how product development process occurs in real-life. It is not a straightforward approach, but an approach that requires many iterations and examination of probable products through several algorithms to enhance their positive reception in the market.

For instance, through the interviews, potential customers of Google products in China unanimously agreed that if Google searches do not return DNS errors, which occur because of blocking of some sites due to censorship of the products to comply with Chinas regulations, they could consume them.

In this extent, focusing on a particular organisation has provided an opportunity to appreciate how a particular context in which an organisation influences its NPD conducts.

Reference List

Carsten, P. (2013). Microsoft Blocks Censorship of Skype in China: Advocacy Group. Retrieved from www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/microsoft-blocks-censorship-skype-china-advocacy-group-f2D11664965

Cooper, G., & Edgett, E. (2010). Developing a product innovation and technology strategy for your business. Research Technology Management, 53(3), 33-40.

Hansen, M., & Birkinshaw, J. (2007). The Innovation, Value Chain. Harvard Business Review, 85(6), 87-98.

Kim, J., & Wilemon, D. (2007). Sources and Assessment of Complexity in NPD Projects. R&D Management, 33(1), 16-30.

Kotler, P., Adam, S., Denise, S., & Armstrong. (2009). Principles of Marketing. Australia: Prentice Hall.

Rugman, M., & DCruz, R. (1993). The double diamond model of international competitiveness: Canadas experience. Management International Review, 33(2), 1739.

Smith, P., & Reinertsen, D. (1998). Developing Products in Half the Time. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.

Ulrich, K., & Eppinger, S. (2004). Product Design and Development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Zemlickien, V. (2011). Analysis of High-Technology Product Development Models. Intellectual Economics, 5(2), 283-297.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Interview questions

Are you an employee or potential customer of Google China?

  1. Employee
  2. customer/potential customer

If you are an employee, what is your experience with Google China?

  1. Always occupied in troubleshooting networks and directing customer traffic
  2. Hardly occupied in troubleshooting networks and directing customer traffic

If you are customer/potential customer, have you ever used Google China search products

  1. Yes
  2. No

If your response to question 3 is No, why?

  1. Highly censored
  2. Always returns DNS error

If your response to 4 is b, can you consider using the products if Google China search products do not return DNS error or when censorship is limited?

  1. Yes
  2. No

Appendix 2: Interview Reponses

Question Response
a b
1 4 16
2 0 4
3 3 13
4 5 8
5 8

The Acme Toy Companys New Product Development

Every business needs innovation and new product developments because, without them, the likelihood of incurring significant financial losses in the future increases. This leads to the fact that creative development should be one of the critical factors that management should consider. When creating a global strategy, the company must be guided by what can provide it with high profits. One of these factors is paying due attention to the scope of innovation in the field of activity (Baxter 41). The management and development department must receive regular technical assignments to ensure that new products are regularly updated in the companys product line. In addition, an innovative product must carry the function of helping society and solving any social problem. Such a question can be, for example, loneliness. For this, a unique toy was developed to attract peoples attention for a long time.

A great way to promote a product is to advertise the function of artificial intelligence as a full-fledged human companion. Thus, this toy will eliminate the problem of loneliness for children in society. This development is unique because it has in its structure a processor that operates with artificial intelligence with self-learning capabilities (Zhang et al. 2). This, in turn, provides the most advanced and comfortable experience of using the product. While playing with this toy, children can think that they are talking to a natural person. However, this person will never leave them unattended and will be able to answer all questions. In addition, the toy will distinguish the company from competitors because it has no analogs on the market. Thus, this development should be put into practice and production, as it can significantly improve the companys position in the future. Moreover, it seems possible to develop several variations of the toy. Each of them will have its characteristics, while there will be no differences in production. This way, maximum optimization of production processes can be achieved, and excellent benefits can be obtained.

According to its structure, the toy can be in the form of some fantastic animal. However, the internal design provides some features, such as a gyroscope, moisture protection, and shock resistance. All this will provide the toy with additional opportunities for interaction. For example, she will react to how she is raised, lowered, or in what position she is being held. Moisture protection is necessary so the child cannot spoil the toy if he accidentally drops it into the water or wants to take it into the bath. Such improvements will lead to the products interaction with the child for the longest possible period. This is necessary so that the child who plays with it feels that the creation is genuine and not just a toy. Such an effect will have the most positive effect on the statistics of purchases since children will want to acquire such a toy when they see it with one of their peers.

Sales can be made through the dissemination of information about the innovativeness of the toy and the purchase of the latest advertising media. Emphasis on uncovering the innovative capabilities of a product is vital when serving it to customers (Kline 9). However, there is a second way involving presenting as little technical information as possible to lure people in with a sense of curiosity. Thus, all the new products advantages will be revealed to potential customers, and as many people as possible will want to buy a toy.

It can be summarized by saying that this product has a unique system within itself. This differs from all currently presented products on the toy market. Thus, it will help to provide this product with a free niche with no competitors. This factor will allow managers to quickly recoup investments in the production of goods since sales will be significant. The presented project can strengthen the companys position in the market and increase its profitability.

Works Cited

Baxter, Mike. Product design. CRC press, 2018.

Kline, Stephen. . Cultural politics in contemporary America. Routledge, 2022. 299-316. Web.

Zhang, Fangyu, et al. . Electronic Commerce Research and Applications 41 (2020): 100974. Web.

Soren Chemicals: Product Development

Soren Case Study

Company and Jen Moritz Introduction

The companys full name is Water Treatment Group. It developed various chemicals for treating water. Jen Moritz was the Marketing Manager for The Water Treatment Group of Companies. She was responsible for the development of chemicals for treating drinking water and for maintaining pools. In this case, her tasks included developing a relatively cheap product for cleaning pools called Kailan.

Estimation of the Market Potential for Residential Pool Clarifiers

The following is the overall outlook of the market and the product, among others, it will compete.

  • There are 300,000 commercial pools,
  • One thousand water parks,
  • $ 30 Million in revenue generated from selling such chemicals,
  • The market for the chemicals is projected to grow by 7% to $32.1 Million in 2007,
  • Water treatment Group enjoyed $ 6.1 M / $ 30 M = 20% market share in 2006.

The residential Market Size at Retailer Prices is as follows.

There are 9 Million Residential Pools x $ 50 (Annual Treatment Cost per Pool) = $ 112.5 Million at Retail. Since manufacturers buy at 60% of Retail Prices, the $ 67.5 Million is the potential of the market for the manufacturer. The companys products are for residential pools. The company also aims to have a footing in the market to launch other products. However, competitors are eager to launch their version of the product to counter Water Treatment Groups Kailan MW and Coracle.

Reasonability of $1.5M Market Size potential

Sorens target of $1.5 Million in the first year (which is $1.5/$67.5 Million = 2.2%), is an extremely reasonable and realizable market share to target at launch. The pricing of the product is quite reasonable too, as indicated by the following analysis.

The retail price of a container of 0.5 Gallons was estimated at $25 using a manufacturer price of $14.88. At that manufacturer price, Soren estimated a 35% gross margin. The following is the breakdown.

Breakdown

  • Selling Price = Cost Price + percentage margin x Selling Price
  • Selling Price (1  percentage margin) = Cost Price
  • Selling Price = Cost Price / (1  %margin)
  • Distributor Cost Price = $14.88
  • Distributor Margin = 30%
  • Distributor Selling Price = 14.88 / (1-0.3) = $21.25
  • Distributor Margin = $6.375
  • Retailer Cost Price = $21.25
  • Retailer Margin = 15%
  • Retailer Selling Price = 21.25 / (1-0.15) = $25.00
  • Retailer Margin = $ 3.75

The breakdown was also quite reasonable. Hence, failure of success was unlikely to emanate from the costing and pricing. Conversely, it would lead to loss of income for the major players.

Situation Analysis

Product description briefly

Research conducted by Soren concluded that residential pool owners  80% take care of their pools  are not technical. Soren did not explain the benefits of the product to them in a way they would easily understand. The benefits include lower costs hence a significant annual saving, better performance, and a cleaner pool.

Promotion description

Residential pool owners buying behavior follows this pattern:

  • They buy from mass retailers
  • They also buy from Specialty Pool Retailers
  • They get maintenance services from professionals in the field
  • They are not deeply aware of the details of pool chemicals
  • They rely on counsel from professionals, retailers, and promotions for information

Soren failed to study the market and the buying behavior well leading to a catastrophic performance of coracle.

Price and distribution description

Distributors did not support the product because they could sell an adulterated version of Kailan or comparable products at significantly lower prices. Players in the supply chain discovered it would lead to lower revenue because they sell other chemicals too. The packaging of Coracle even made this fact known. The offsetting of earnings and the fact that there were other products in the market dented coracle.

New pricing structure

To get distributors support for Coracles success requires massive spending in branding. The change in route may not be a good idea from Sorens earnings. Since the company is major, a B2B company the change will require a different experience. Therefore, margins will have to be re-adjusted to get supply chain support. The following presents a preliminary analysis.

Preliminary analysis

  • Distributor Cost = $2.32 (equal to factory price)
  • Distributor Profit/Loss = $1.28
  • Distributor Selling Price = $3.6
  • Retailer Cost = $3.6
  • Retailer Profit/Loss = $1.13
  • Retailer Selling Price = $ 4.73
  • Annual Cost of Coracle Clarifiers for the customer = $47.3
  • A lesser product from competition averages an annual spend of $50

At the price of $4.73, the distributor and retailer get similar margins from chemical sales of the competitors products. Hence, the distributors and retailers are naturally indifferent to Coracle since it is not adding or deleting to their profitability. The implication is that Soren must raise the distributor profits by adjusting the price of Coracle upwards.

Normally, customers spend $50 annually on clarifiers and $300 annually on various chemicals totaling $350. Spending $47.3 in Coracle and spending $225, which is 75% of the $300, on supporting chemicals, they will spend $272.3. That figure is considerably smaller than the initial $350. Hence, Soren can increase the price by $7.7 for more profitability. Additionally, the extra money will attract more distributors as it will increase profitability.

Recommendation

Soren should rethink its approach in many departments through reengineering. Reengineering of business processes is one of the most radical and effective methods of dealing with change. Reengineering is also effective in reducing costs and improving the quality of service. A far-reaching method requires a thorough evaluation before a firm embarks on it to refine its processes. Many firms have tried and failed to carry out Business Process Reengineering successfully. The reason is that the process requires a lot of time, resources, and knowledge for successful implementation. At Soren, there needs to be changed to the processes carried out by management in the past. These changes must be informed by previous needs and market assessment.

Advantages and Disadvantages of BPR

Currently, the economic environment is quite competitive and unpredictably dynamic. A firm has to review its operations, processes, and policies continue to align them with contemporary methods of doing business. Because of the dynamic nature of the business environment, a firm must embrace change if it is to survive or even maintain the same influence that it has in the industry. The need to meet changing and somewhat sophisticated consumer needs and to find cost-effective ways of operation has made Business Process Reengineering a necessity.

The advantages of this process are far-reaching and quite essential. Business Process Reengineering is the essential rethinking and revamps of processes in a business to achieve an enhancement in current measures of operations strategy performance and strength such as cost, quality, and delivery.

Licious Whiskers: Product Development Proposal

Licious Whiskers  is a new alcoholic beverage product that will find a wide audience of connoisseurs of refined tastes among residents of Tennessee. Production will be established in Sevierville, TN, the area known as the heart of apple gardens. There are over a dozen apple gardens in the area, growing all sorts of apples that ripen from July to October (The 13 Best Apple Orchards). Usually, cider-makers choose bitter-tasted varieties rich with tannins and flavors, since these apples better suit the desired qualities of cider (Wolff 2). Licious Whiskers is a product that will unite the tastes of whiskey and cider, as it is a regular apple cider blended with whiskey. This product proposal for the planned development of Licious Whiskers alcoholic beverage.

The products unique qualities that will attract potential customers include its taste and packaging. The label will explicitly point at the qualities of the product, its name Licious Whiskers and say it is a regular apple cider blended with whiskey. Such an explanation will be appealing to potential buyers and, even more importantly, given the low alcohol content, will allow the product to be sold to more retailers. The product will also have an attractive price so it so it should be valued lower than the prices for other competing crafted beers.

The manufacturing will use the raw materials supplied from the nearest orchards that grow apples with greater bitterness and flavors. The manufacturer will sign contracts with suppliers but should regard that alcohol laws. In addition to self-distribution, the product can be delivered to local grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, liquor, and package stores, as well as drive-through liquor stores. Supplying the product to restaurants, bars, and hotels is another prospective move. No less importantly, the product can be sold online through local retail package stores, food stores, and wineries since the Tennessee alcohol laws allow for such an option.

A key aspect of the proposal is targeting and engaging potential buyers. This targeting campaign will be achieved through launching a marketing campaign. The campaign will address online younger audiences who spend time at parties and drink beers and light wines. This category of customers will receive personalized ads on social media platforms and advertisings in brick-and-mortar stores. The younger audiences will also be motivated to discuss the new product through the planned bonus program of gifts and raffles. Online orders will make up a significant part of the potential demand, so the advertising campaign for this opportunity should be bright and attractive. Shoppers who have cars and are used to buying products in traditional stores will see small billboards at points where the product will appear for the first time. Drizzly, a platform that provides delivery of beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages, is seen as an important partner, and a large part of the online audience will use this platform to purchase the product.

Thus, the business product proposal for the Licious Whiskers alcoholic beverage discusses taste, location, manufacturing, distribution and marketing aspects. The alcoholic beverages projected taste will be its main selling point. The Licious Whickers apple cider is an attractive product due to its taste. It will reach the target audience through compelling prices and appealing packaging. No less importantly, marketing campaign will attract more consumers through social media and advertisings in brick-and-mortar stores.

Works Cited

Ryan, Author. The 13 Best Apple Orchards in Tennessee. Minneopa Orchards, Web.

Wolff, Brett. Cider Apples in Tennessee: Basic Considerations. Lexington, KY: Center for Crop Diversification, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment., 2021.

Philosophy in the Product Development Process

The analysis of the world philosophical approach props up against the rationale and grounding of a definite idea. In this respect the fundamentals of philosophy and its implementation in the world of business affairs are viable. The situation of today constitutes that there are more points on making achievements in participation with different structural parts of the business when applying to concurrent engineering (CE). The report describes the definitions of fundamental philosophy and CE along with their reciprocal relation in the product development process systems. The descriptive analysis is used in the report so that to illuminate the major terms and principles in the current survey.

First of all, it is necessary to point out the sole role of design as a feature of various disciplines. The design provides a proper shaping of what a man wants to do or what is a manner of his/her doing so. Thereupon, the formulation of fundamental points in every research and pits practical implementation, as a result, relies on the rational attitude of individuals in the urge for producing something. According to Bailey (2004) before planning anything one should be aware of the theoretical and practical evaluation of it. Though, the author provides a philosophical framework maintained in three fundamental questions, namely:

  • What exists?
  • What do we know?
  • What should we do (Bailey, 2004, pp. 3)?

In fact, such attitude toward design and consequences of what is planned to be done proves an idea of fundamental philosophy. Its firm basis corresponds to the age-old history of its development which resulted in a contemporary outline of new opportunities for generating and engineering thoughts and suggestions. With regard to Harris et al (2006, p. 41) CE is admitted as the integration of the design and construction phases. Fundamentally this assertion tends to be accompanied by the difference of CE in comparison with traditional product production. Simultaneous, not sequential, the performance of tasks in CE requires new standards of time and fast tempos of industrial development (Wankel, 2009). This approach is new in the framework of relationships maintenance within the internal and external areas of companies influence. The historical cut provides some apparent examples of how CE influenced the whole shaping of the countrys economical background. Of course, the Japanese example occurs. The economical wonder of Japan is presupposed mainly with a non-sequential approach in production and industries on the whole. Values of customers are outlined with the unconventional approaches to product development. A versatile entity of different views can help make more glimpses at a companys performance in contrast with the closest rivals. Reciprocity of organizational and functional background of a company provides fundamental reasoning of its manners in making new product development usable. Wankel (2009, p. 362) explains the role of CE when facing various challenges: &each function might understand well a nuance that is not well perceived by another.

In terms of traditional and non-traditional approaches toward the product development process, contradictions may appear. It is concerned with the controversial outlooks of different systems which can be explained philosophically. Copleston (2003) admits Husserls demand on phenomenology as a basic fundamental philosophy that can make an end of constant conflicts between different philosophies and their systems, on the whole. Here the concept of CE is appropriate. There is still a hot discussion of CE adaptation to previous methods in production. In this respect, the significant role of teams is seen to be the major for CE. Human resources and their ability to participate in providing qualitative and quantitative improvements can be a prerequisite for new challenges when performing an adaptation process. Yu-zen Li and Du (2004, p. 96) note the significance of making progress under new circumstances which are concerned with CE: Teams can be put into practice, setting up formal meetings and using diverse workgroup techniques, where team members can transmit their experience and knowledge, achieving better results.

Methodology and techniques of production process improvement cannot go without a proper design in its performance and maintenance. Though, the fastened process of making business in terms of the worlds main standards and requirements seeks to make the electronic way of product promotion possible and firm for companies. Involvement of many disciplines promotes a higher and more intensive evaluation and implementation of a product process system by virtues of the extended approach to the outline of main customers responses. This power drives production in terms of buying power. Moreover, the CE philosophy is popular in the business circles due to its credibility to lessen redundant efforts and to increase the tempos of high-quality products development (Hamrock et al, 2004).

To sum up, the philosophical background of CE provides the involvement of various disciplines intended to make out and implement the ways of a quicker development of production system. In this case, the importance of theoretical and practical approaches is used in the contemporary period of time. This framework for making production lines more competitive and reliable among customers is perpetually increasing due to the high requirements of the market.

Reference

Bailey, A 2004, First Philosophy: Fundamental Problems and Readings in Philosophy, Vol. 1, Broadview Press, Chicago.

Copleston, F 2003, A history of philosophy, Vol. 7, Continuum International Publishing Group, London.

Hamrock, BJ, Schmid, SR & Jacobson, BO 2004, Fundamentals of Machine Elements, Ed. 2, McGraw-Hill Professional, New York.

Harris, F, McCaffer, R & Edum-Fotwe, F 2006, Modern construction management, Ed. 6, Wiley-Blackwell, Hobboken, NJ.

Wankel, C 2009, Encyclopedia of Business in Todays World, SAGE, New York.

Yu-zen Li, E & Du, TC 2004, Advances in electronic business, Vol. 1, Salt Lake City: Idea Group Inc (IGI).

Product Development: Process and Recommendations

Companies are always trying to attain new markets for more revenues and the most productive way of doing this is through the launch of new products. Due to the ever changing markets and advance in technology businesses have to keep up with the speed by being more efficient, produce high quality products and maintain profitability. Introducing a new product in the market is a process called product development. It involves product generation and marketing. New products popularity always depends on the current products in the market from the same company; a company with popular products has higher chances of its new product being embraced in the market than a small company, For example RSK has for long been known for production of musical instruments and equipment, recently the company launched a new type of guitar that is electric and it turned out to be the most revolutionary innovation in the open architecture industry. The instrument has a high quality timbre, resonant tone and a very stunning classy look and it has won two industrial design excellence awards. (Blackburn 2003, p. 134)

Process of new product development and structure

Product development is a seven stage process that is used by many companies including rsk in development of a new product. The process does not have to be followed strictly but at least a few of its components are essential in new product development. The first stage is to create an idea from the company, employees, the, competitors, sales people and trade shows, once the idea has been formulated it is subjected to screening through a variety of questions such as: will the target market benefit from the product?, what is the size of the target market?, is there any competition for the product in the market? And what are the expected revenues from the product. The third stage involves developing and testing of the product, investigating the target market, expected reaction of the customers and determining the cost of producing that product. (Schilling 2008, p. 97)The fourth stage is to analyze the sales volume set the selling price, determine the profits expected and the break even point; which leads to the next step of market testing by using the product in the expected location or purpose for which it is meant to serve, listening to customers comments, making changes and then releasing the product into the market for a trial run. If it is a success the next step will be the technical part of manufacturing, material purchases, sales, planning logistics and other operations. After that the product is launched officially into the market for, advertising, promoting distribution and selling (Timmons& Spinelli 2003, p. 245).

Recommendations for the process strategy

Rsk designed a new product of higher quality than the rest of the guitars in the market, the unique feature of it being that the guitar is electric hence there was no competition in the market making it easy to sell and attract customers. The guitars also are in many colors and finishes to cater for the diverse market and population not forgetting that, to produce one guitar of this type takes only 2 pounds worth of wood while rest takes about 8 pounds worth of wood for production. This factor makes RSK production process very environmental friendly a factor that many companies have assumed and yet it is very vital. In my view RSK guitar development was both economically and environmentally successful and hence the success of the product in the market. (Davila &Sheldon 2005, p. 253)

Recommendations for the project strategy

Product development however needs leadership for it to be successful and this factor has not been mentioned in the development process. The top management should show it involvement in the innovation of the product by organizing and allowing the employees to involve themselves in programs that educate on entrepreneurship (Smith 2009, p. 342).They should provide space for creativity for example by allowing try and error projects, it should also be flexible when compromising situations arise so as to achieve faster development of new products, companies should also be optimistic when engaging in such projects and give it their best to avoid failure. Finally all companies involved in production of new products should consider their effect on the environment to prevent the many problems the world is facing due to pollution of the environment by industries. (Chesbrough 2003, p. 56)

Reference list

Blackburn. R., 2003. Intellectual Property & Innovation Management in Small firms. London: Routledge.

Chesbrough, H., 2003. Open Innovation. Boston, MA: Harvard business school press.

Davila,T. & Sheldon ,R., 2005. Making innovation work-How to manage it ,measure it & profit from it. Upper saddle River, NJ: Whartan School publishing.

Schilling M., 2008. Strategic Management of technological innovation. NY: MC Graw hill.

Smith, D., 2009. Exploring Innovation. NY: Mc graw-hill.

Timmons, A. & Spinelli, S., 2003. New Venture creation Entrepreneurship for the 21st century, 6th edition. NY: Mc graw hill.

Textile Product Development and Engineering

Introduction

Cotton is a raw material used to make yearns and threads. It is derived from a shrub plant that commonly grows in both tropical and sub-tropical areas in many parts of the world. It is commonly found in Africa, some parts of America and India (Kermit 1999, p.14). Today, India and United States are the largest producers of cotton.

The yearns or threads are used to make soft and breathable textile, the commonly used natural- fiber used for making clothing materials. Cotton is the only known of all the raw materials used for textiles because of its durability and multi-purpose use. The seeds of its planting material are usually enclosed in a protective capsule that facilitates the seed dispersal.

The most widely grown cotton species is Gossypium hirsutum , which makes up more than 90 percent of total output globally. It has its origin in Mexico where it was first grown 8,000 years ago (Lawrence 1998, p. 34). All countries in the entire world rely on cotton either directly or indirectly as a raw material for the manufacture of several textiles related materials.

It has been discovered that more consumers go for cotton-made personal items more often than those of other synthetic fibers do. In the year 1998, out of estimated 45 million tons of global fiber consumed, 20 million tons were cotton.

Cotton characteristics

Cotton is a fiber-like natural material whose origin is associated with vegetable plants. Its major component is cellulose, a carbohydrate substance found in plants. Cotton bears the characteristics of other fruits and comes from a plant commonly referred to as ‘cotton plant.’ The plant itself is among Malvacae family, which has more than 1500 species. Among the famous plants in this family are baobab and bombax trees.

The cotton plant has the ability to grow up to about ten metres high when grown in the wild but under normal circumstances it grows to the range of one to two metres in commercial farming to make picking exercise easier. The crop does well in dry tropical areas. Naturally, the plant is a perennial tree but under normal cultivation methods, it is grown as an annual shrub (Judith 1997, p.52).

It takes less than a year and only few cases have been reported where the crop takes two years. The cotton flower consists of five large petals and immediately after they fall off, capsules with thick and hard outer layers are left.

After the maturity of cotton capsules, they explode exposing the seeds along with masses of creamy-white fibers. The commonly grown cotton species of Gossypium hirsutum has narrower and lighter fibers as compared to that of Gossypium barbardense with more fibers. Despite the fact that cotton is more prevalent in tropical nations, this does not mean it cannot be grown in other geographical regions.

Cotton is extensively planted in both south and north hemisphere even though cotton is loves sunlight even though very susceptible to cold conditions. Cotton is mostly planted in third world countries. In the year 2007/08, out of 65 cotton-producing nations, 52 were third world nations, 21 of which had been categorized under the list of less developing by the United Nations.

Cotton has a significant importance in developing countries mostly in Western and Central parts of Africa- more than eight million people are dependent on cotton sector for their incomes. Cotton oil account for about 5 percent of vegetable oil consumed worldwide. The cottonseed meal is rich in protein and energy for cattle and usually taken in form of roughages (Xu & Fang 1999, p. 77).

Cotton fiber characteristics

The characteristic features exhibited by the cotton fiber make it more preferred to other fibers. The shape of the material is fairly uniform with approximate width of about 12 to 20 micrometers while its length varies between one centimeter and six centimeters. This makes it relative lighter hence the final products which include clothing materials will also be light.

One of the major uses of cotton material is the production of clothing materials and one of the significant features of a good clothing material is lightness that in most cases is determined by the density. Cotton fibers have high luster.

They have shining features and can easily reflect light (Cai 1999, p.73). This makes cotton -made clothes more comfortable to wear especially during the hot periods. They do not absorb heat that easily and therefore cotton materials become most preferred in hot regions of tropical and sub-tropical areas.

Another characteristic feature of cotton fiber can be viewed from the strength perspective. The strength of all fibers is measured in terms of grams per diner (g/d). This is described as the force required to break a bunch of fibers sandwiched between two sets of jaws. Cotton fiber has a breaking strength of between 3.0 to 6.g/d. This depends on whether the fiber is dry or wet.

Dry cotton fiber has strength of between 3g/d to 5g/d while the wet one ranges between 3.3g/d to 6g/d thus cotton is the world’s strongest fiber hence increasing the number of its possible uses and subsequently making the substitutability of the material almost impossible. Cotton fibers are resiliency (Kermit 1999, p.22). This means after a sudden disturbance, the material can easily return back to its original state.

All cotton-made items including clothing have proved this characteristic feature. Whenever a cotton-made garment is folded, crumpled, or even shrunk during washing, it eventually assumes its original shape without being subjected to ironing.

The density of cotton fiber ranges between 1.54 to 1.56 g/cm3. This is slightly desirable density since the fibers can easily and conveniently be carried from one place to another. Again, the density determines how heavier or lighter a material is.

Moisture absorbency is an important characteristic feature of fiber materials. The absorbency strength is measured in terms of percentage rate. The raw conditioned cotton fiber has an absorption rate of about 8.5 percent while mercerized conditioned fiber has a range of between 8.5 to 10.3 percent.

This feature has led to higher demand of cotton materials in the manufacture of cotton wools and bandages used in hospitals to cover open wounds. So many other materials are cotton-made and preferred for this quality including baby clothes and pampers. Cotton fibers are vulnerable to acids (Lawrence 1998, p. 60). Unlike some other fibers, cotton weakens when subjected to acids.

However, similar subjection to alkali brings no harmful effects. The cotton fibers are also resistant to most organic solvents and do not dissolve easily. Prolonged exposure of cotton fibers to direct sunlight is not advisable since the material can be weakened. Another important thing to note about cotton fibers is that they cannot survive the presence of microorganisms and other insects because the fibers will be damaged.

The final characteristic feature is that prolonged exposure of cotton fibers to temperatures above 1500 C will lead to complete combustion of the fibers yet it is advisable to always maintain cotton fibers at desirable temperature rates.

Bamboo fibers

Bamboo fibers come from a bamboo plant that has a high percentage of cellulose just like cotton plant. It is usually grown in non-polluted areas for example Yunnan and Sicuan provinces of China. The production of bamboo fiber requires a green process with no pollution. Since it is cellulose, it can be 100 percent decomposed in soil by microorganisms and sunshine (Tortora & Collier 1997, p.51).

However, the process of decomposition does not cause environmental pollution. Another unique feature of bamboo fibers is their ability to breathe and their cooling effects they bring with them. This is due to the fact that the cross sections of its fiber consist of several micro-gaps and holes thus making it better for moisture absorption as well as ventilation.

Bamboo fiber can easily absorb and evaporate human sweat in a matter of seconds. It does not stick to the skin in hot summer. According to empirical studies, bamboo-made apparels are usually less than 20c the normal apparels in hot summer.

Purely bamboo-made fabrics have good wet permeability, they have the ability to transmit moisture and vapors properly, are easy to dye and have comfortable touch (soft hand). For this reason, bamboo fiber is used to make sweaters, bathing towels and suits, blankets among others. Due to its unique anti-bacteria function, bamboo fibers are most preferred in making under-cloth garments, socks and tight t-shirts (Duckett 1975, p.92).

Viscose Rayon Fiber

This is a non-synthetic fiber made from wood pulp that has been derived from a raw material rich in cellulose like cotton. Subsequently, its properties are similar to those of cotton fibers. Rayon garments are soft and comfortable to wear.

They are flexible and hang comfortably loosely when worn making them so desirable to many consumers. However, this characteristic will depend on how the fabric has been processed and the nature and amount of additives added during the processing (Mauersberger 1954, p.77).

Of all the cellulose fibers, rayon is the most absorbent. The strength of rayon reduces when it is wet. Consequently, it has more stretching and shrinking effects than cotton. Rayon is extremely inelastic. Another characteristic feature of rayon is that it is highly flammable.

Rayon led to the enactment of Flammable Fabrics Act in 1953by US’s Commerce Department. This was triggered by public concern over huge number of accidents caused by rayon fabrics. Finally, weak acids easily damage the fiber, just like any other cellulose.

Comparison of performance characteristic of Bamboo and Rayon to Cotton

Almost all the differences and similarities of the three fibers have been already directly or indirectly highlighted. From an environmental perspective, the processing of rayon unlike bamboo and cotton leads to environmental pollution as it has been observed. Rayon has been described as an eco-friendly material since its production process does not pollute environment at all.

Another difference between these fibers can be viewed from biodegradability perspective. Bamboo fibers are easily decomposed by soil microorganisms unlike rayon that resists microorganisms and insects damage thus making it non-biodegradable material (Duckett 1975, p.77).

Resiliency is another feature that distinguishes the three fibers. Cotton is more resiliency and can easily assume its original shape after shrinking or crumpling unlike rayon that can easily wrinkle. Rayon is more absorbent and elastic than both cotton and bamboo.

Cotton fibers are more luster than bamboo and rayon and thus they are the only fiber materials that reflect light. The three fiber materials have few similarities for instance all of them are cellulose fibers made from naturally occurring materials and acids can easily damage them.

Polyester fibers

Polyester fibers are made from polyester material that is among the polymer’s category. Polyester consists of naturally occurring chemicals that include cutin found in leaf cuticles and synthetics. Natural polyesters can be decomposed while synthetic ones cannot. Polyester fabrics are resistant to wrinkles (Rodriguez 1996, p.76).

They always retain their original shape even after being wrinkled and hence their clothes can be worn without necessarily ironing them. Another characteristic feature is its durability. Unlike other synthetic fibers, polyester fabrics can last for long. They also have the ability to retain their colours for long periods. That is clothes made from polyester do not fade easily due to frequent washing or exposure to too much direct light.

Polyesters are thermoplastics and their exposure to too much heat may lead to change in their shape. They burn at high temperatures, shrink away from flames, and put themselves off after ignition. Polyester fibers are characterized by high tenacity. In addition, they have low water absorption ability unlike other industrial fibers.

Polyester fabrics are easily washable and therefore suitable for making children clothes that are vulnerable to dirt. Polyester fabrics also dry faster and they do not remain wet for long after washing.

They are resistant to most chemicals including acids and alkalis hence they are not easily damaged upon exposure to these two. Therefore, this type of fiber is most suitable to use while making pillowcases, bed sheets, curtains, carpets among others (Ogorkiwicz 1970, p.112).

Nylon fiber

Nylon is a light synthetic material with high tenacity. It is manufactured through polymerization of an amine chemical mixed with an acid chloride. One characteristic feature of nylon is that it is very strong and highly elastic (Gresp & Luciana 1981, p.67). It can stretch to considerable strengths unlike polyester fibers. Washing of polyester fibers has been described as one of the easiest.

It requires little attention and dirt does not stick to the material very easily. Nylon clothes dries faster when washed even during cold weather. Resiliency is another characteristic of nylon fabrics. They do assume their original shape after being shrunk or crumpled.

Because of these characteristics, nylon is widely used to make track pants and shorts, swimming costumes, windbreakers, stockings among others. The luster of nylon varies; it can be either lustrous or dull (Chung Hee & YunKyung 2004, p.248). When nylon fabrics are exposed to too much heat, they melt instead of burning.

Nylon fabrics are very transparent under infrared light and allow light to pass through easily. Finally, nylon fibers are non-biodegradable and resist any attacks by micro-organisms and many other chemicals. They do not decompose.

Acrylic fibers

Acrylic is an artificial fiber made through dry and wet spinning processes. Acrylic fibers are heavy with high bulk exhibiting the features of wool. It is an excellent heat retainer and light responsive. Acrylic fibers are not resiliency and therefore they do not retain their shape easily when disturbed but their fabrics are wrinkle resistant. In addition, acrylic fibers are durable and can last for long (Bat & Salusso 2003, p.150).

They have also quick drying characteristics and dry faster when washed. One disadvantage of acrylic is that it does not insulate the wearer against heat loss. Acrylic materials are usually perceived as cheap due to their typical lower pricing than other natural counterparts are.

Acrylic fabrics are machine washable and therefore suitable for making baby clothes that require frequent washing. Acrylic is a non-biodegradable material since it is resistant to microorganisms, chemicals and resists deterioration when subjected to sunlight (Gordon 1968, p.122).

Comparison of performance characteristics of Nylon, Acrylic to Polyester

The three synthetic fibers mentioned above have a number of differences as well as similarities. All the three synthetic materials are non-biodegradable and do not undergo decomposition. Thus, the three of them poses a potential threat to environment and can lead to environmental pollution. In addition, they are characterized by durability and they tend to last longer.

The three materials resist any exposure to many chemicals including acids and bases. The three fiber materials dry faster after washing and therefore they are more recommended in cold and humid environments.

One of the differences among them is that acrylic fibers are not resistant to wrinkles like nylon and polyester though their fabrics tend to resist wrinkles (Kadolph & Langford 1998, p.77). Polyester unlike nylon and acrylic has the ability to retain colour for a long period without fading.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is evident that the natural fibers (cotton, bamboo and rayon) possess good characteristic features than artificial ones (polyester, nylon and acrylic). Almost all artificial synthetic fibers are non-biodegradable and therefore lead to environmental pollution (Tortora & Collier 1997, p.49).

Natural fibers usually decompose to manure and acids and other chemicals affect them. Any pollution caused by textile industry can be largely attributed to artificial fibers and incase there are any natural fibers involved, their contribution to pollution is very minimal.

List of References

Bat, K L & Salusso, C J 2003, Classifications & analysis of textiles: A handbook, University of Minnesota Press, Minnesota.

Cai, Y 1999, A New Method for Improving the Dyeability of cotton with reactive Dyes, Textile Research Journal, vol. 69, pp.440-446.

Chung Hee, P & YunKyung, K 2004, Biodegradability of cellulose fabrics, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 94, pp.248.

Duckett, K E 1975, Surface characteristics of fibers and textiles, Marcel Dekker, New York.

Gordon, C J 1968, Handbook of textile fibers, part: Natural fiber, Merrow Publishing Co. Ltd, Watford.

Grespi, G & Luciana, L 1981, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Wiley, New York.

Judith, M 1997, Quality measurements, The Journal of Cotton Science, vol. 1, p. 48-60

Kadolph, S & Langford, A 1998, Textiles, Prentice Hall, New York.

Kermit, E 1999, Color grading of cotton-measurement, Beltwide cotton conference, Orlando.

Lawrence, H 1998, Cotton’s Importance in the Textile Industry, Symposium, Lima, Peru

Mauersberger, H R 1954, Textile fibers, their physical, microscopic and chemical properties, John Wiley & Sons, Washington.

Ogorkiwicz, R M 1970, Engineering properties of thermoplastics, Wiley, New York.

Rodriguez, F 1996, Principles of polymer systems, Taylor and Francis Publishers, Washington DC, USA

Tortora, P G & Collier, B J 1997, Understanding textiles, Prentice-Hall, New York.

Xu, B & Fang, C 1999, Clustering analysis for cotton trash classification, Textile Research Journal, vol. 69, p.656-662.

Tourism Product Development

Introduction

This paper is aimed at developing a tourism-based product. On the whole, this term can be used to describe goods that can be purchased by tourists before or during their travel. Very often, they can motivate people to go to a specific location.

Overall, it is possible to consider historical sites because they are very eloquent examples of tourism-based products. In many cases, people want to buy goods that can help them better recollect these places. Additionally, such products can increase clients’ awareness of various tourist sites. These are some of the main elements that can be singled out.

Product Development

It is possible to sell miniature copies of the major tourist sites located in different countries or regions of the world. For example, it is possible to mention such famous sites as Notre-Dame de Paris, the Tower of London, the Taj Mahal, and many other places that are renowned for their beauty. These products can also be sold as a set of miniatures.

They can be made of wood as well as plastic. Additionally, they can be accompanied by supplementary materials, in particular, brochures that can tell buyers more about the history of a specific tourist site. Thus, these goods can serve the information needs of customers.

Price

The price set for this product should meet the needs of clients with different income levels. For example, plastic miniature copies can be sold at $ 35, whereas wooden miniatures will be priced at $ 65 per copy. In turn, clients can purchase a set consisting of several miniatures. In this case, they should be given a discount. On the whole, this pricing policy can make these goods more accessible. This is one of the main goals that should be attained.

Promotion

These products can be best promoted with the help of various online resources. For example, it is possible to use such a service as Google Adwords. In other words, a potential client may learn these products while making a search query about a particular tourist site. Additionally, it is possible to create websites that will serve several purposes.

In particular, they will tell clients about famous tourist attractions. Moreover, they will include advertisements for promoting these products. Overall, the use of online resources is the most optimal strategy for attracting buyers.

Place

The marketing strategies will include the use of different distribution channels. At first, these goods can be sold with the help of online retailers such as Amazon.com or eBay. In this way, the company can reach a greater number of potential clients.

Additionally, these miniature copies can be sold at the retail stores in a large metropolitan area in which a specific tourist site is located. This strategy is important for reaching clients who may be going to a particular city, country, or region. Many of these people may decide to buy souvenirs. The use of these distribution channels is important for increasing sales rates.

Conclusion

On the whole, this analysis shows that the development of a tourism-based product requires an in-depth understanding of clients’ needs and behaviors. In particular, these people may want to learn about various tourist destinations, especially famous attractions.

Additionally, they usually rely on information technologies that enable them to learn more about different cities, important destinations, or hospitality organizations. In turn, companies that intend to market a specific product should take into account the peculiarities of tourists’ purchasing decisions.

Consumer Research in the Early Stages of New Product Development

Summary of the article in question

Van Kleef, E., Van Trijp, H. C., & Luning, P. (2005). Consumer Research in the Early Stages of New Product Development: A Critical Review of Methods and Techniques. Food Quality and Preference, 16, 181-201.

The article in question written by Van Kleef et al. (2005) dwells upon consumer research implemented in early stages of New Product Development (NPD). The authors argue that consumer research is often ignored in early stages though this step may be crucial for the future success of the product.

The researchers suggest that the lack of attention to this step can be due to the lack of the knowledge of effective methodology. Apart from this, the researchers point out that the methods used have similar goals but quite different features which should be taken into account while choosing the necessary technique or method.

Therefore, Van Kleef et al. (2005) provide “a categorization scheme”, describe some methods and present guidelines for the effective methods which can be used in different situations (in accordance with companies’ goals) (p. 183). As far as the categorization scheme is concerned, it includes three categories: “information source for need elicitation”, “task format” and “response / output” (Van Kleef et al., 2005, p. 183).

The first category (used in methods analysis) focuses on need-driven and product-driven stimuli. The researchers also point out the importance of such notion as familiarity of the stimulus. The second category is concerned with the format of the research. Van Kleef et al. (2005) divide the methods into two subgroups: structured or unstructured. Finally, the researchers also stress the importance of “actionability of output” (Van Kleef et al., 2005, p. 186).

In other words, not all methods lead to implication of the results of the research as sometimes it is impossible to create products made in accordance with consumers’ preferences due to technological issues. Thus, the third category focuses on possibility of the research results implication. The most widely used methods are analyzed using these three categories.

The researchers also provide a certain pattern to be implied when developing products or marketing products, when introducing incremental or new products. The researchers present particular methodologies to be used in particular situations (depending on the newness of products or actionability). Van Kleef et al. (2005) also draw the conclusion that the research in the early stages of NPD can be very helpful if the right methodology is used.

The major findings and key points

The most important and valuable findings of the article under consideration are the categories which can be used to choose the right methodology for consumer research. These categories highlight the most important goals of the research. Basically, researchers are interested in consumers’ expectations, validity of the results (the way of processing data) and the ways to imply the results. Van Kleef et al. (2005) describe these categories and ‘sort’ the most effective methods in accordance with the categories.

What is more, the article contains really valuable information which can be practically useful. Van Kleef et al. (2005) present a particular pattern which can be used while choosing the most effective methodology. Admittedly, in the majority of cases consumer research is aimed at defining consumers’ preferences while introducing new or incremental products and while developing the product itself or marketing strategy. Van Kleef et al. (2005) list the most efficient techniques which should be used in different situations.

It goes without saying that such patterns will help researchers better analyze consumers’ preferences and needs. One more important idea articulated in the article in question is the importance of the research in initial stages of NPD. It is believed that consumers do not know what exactly they want so it is ineffective to conduct consumer research in initial stages. However, Van Kleef et al. (2005) reveal advantages of the early consumer research.

For instance, Van Kleef et al. (2005) point out that it is better to implement consumer research in initial stages of NPD as producers can take into account consumers’ preferences (needs, expectations, ideas) when it is still possible to make the necessary changes in the product (instead of wasting resources to reshape the product).

Therefore, it is possible to note that the article under consideration provides useful theoretical knowledge as well as really useful practical information. The article can be used as a guideline for researchers conducting surveys or research in every stage (and especially in initial stages) of new products development.

Other works

It is necessary to point out that a lot of work has been done in this area. For instance, it is possible to mention the works by Enkel et al. (2005) and Hoyer et al. (2010). These works provide insights into the development of most effective methods of consumers’ involvement in the process of NPD.

For example, Enkel et al. (2005) provide a helpful case study which highlights certain gaps in the study. Enkel et al. (2005) point out that there is much to be explored in the process of consumers’ integration into NPD process. The researchers analyze the lead-user approach highlighting advantages and shortcoming of the method. It is necessary to note that the article provides helpful insights into the practical implication of certain methods.

However, the work by Hoyer et al. (2010) focuses on theoretical information. The researchers study stimulators and impediments of the process of consumers’ ‘cocreation’ and the impact of this process on the future of the product and the company. The researchers also provide specific examples which make the article more illustrative and helpful.

It is important to point out that the three articles analyze different aspects of consumers’ integration into the process of new products development. It is also possible to state that works by Enkel et al. (2005) and Hoyer et al. (2010) supplement the article in question with more details as the former provide an analysis of specific examples. Thus, it is possible to assess the effectiveness of the categorization suggested by Van Kleef et al. (2005) while studying exact examples.

Insights

It goes without saying that the article in question provides helpful data which can be used during new products development. The information provided can be crucial in initial stages or the fuzzy front end period as the researchers reveal certain strategies which can make consumers’ integration most effective.

In other words, the researchers provide a helpful technique of choosing the correct method to define consumers’ preferences. Using the categories provided by Van Kleef et al. (2005) companies can focus on crucial points without having a long period of developing the new product and then adapting it to consumers’ needs.

Basically, the article helps to choose the right way to implement consumer research which will positively affect the overall process of new products development. More so, the information provided in the article under consideration can help companies skip the fuzzy front end as it will be clear which direction to move in the very initial stage of NPD.

Reference List

Enkel, E., Perez-Freije, J., & Gassmann, O. (2005). Minimizing Market Risks Through Customer Integration in New Product Development: Learning from Bad Practice. CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, 14 (4), 425-437.

Hoyer, W. D., Chandy, R., Dorotic, M., Krafft, M., & Singh, S.S. (2010). Consumer Cocreation in New Product. Journal of Service Research, 113 (3), 283-296.

Van Kleef, E., Van Trijp, H. C., & Luning, P. (2005). Consumer Research in the Early Stages of New Product Development: A Critical Review of Methods and Techniques. Food Quality and Preference, 16, 181-201.

Urban Outfitters: A “Niche” Product Development

Starting a business involves coming up with an idea of a venture that can be beneficial to parties involved. It is taking a well-calculated risk. After having the business idea, the next stage is establishing an appropriate location, finally taking the bold step of starting up.

It is not dependent to the level of education that one has, however it is a subject of one’s business mind (Mintzberg, Ghoshal, Lampel & Quinn, 2003). This paper discuses different aspect of a “niche” product development; it will use Urban Outfitters Case Study for the analysis.

Challenges of start-ups

After having an idea, finances to meet various costs of the business are required; they are a major problem for start-ups. Sometimes an entrepreneur only has money to buy stocks and have an establishment but lacks finances to meet its operating expenses. Lack of such finances to cover the costs can lead to failure and limited growth of the business. Financial lenders are also hesitant to offer loans to start-ups.

The second problem affecting start-ups is getting an appropriate location for ones goods; location can be a deal maker or a deal breaker. An entrepreneur might have a good idea; however, failures to get an appropriate location may lead to failure of the noble course business. Urban Outfitters were favoured by the proximity to their target market, college students.

Another problem that affects entrepreneurs is lack of Patents and trademarks registration for their innovation and inventions. They end up as investors but the idea is taken by large companies who use it for their benefit without the regard of the developer. In the case of Urban Outfitters, they had come up with unique business but getting Patents and trademarks was an issue (Pearce & Robinson, 2011).

“Niche” product is a unique product or service offered in the market as a sub-segment of the larger product market; it targets a micro-market within the larger group. The numbers of customers are usually not big since its potion in the larger market segment. The limited customers limit the production of the products by large corporation. Customers of “niche” product are willing to pay an extra coin for the uniqueness.

Some of the world examples of “niche” products include I-Phone and I-pads which target a small group within the phone industry, Ben and Jerry’s premium ice cream; where tastes disintegrate the market for ice-cream further and Hewlett Packard calculators, which are calculators with some special attributes like memory cards.

“Niche” products providers have some advantages over other players in the same industry; they enjoy the power of quasi-monopoly. Quasi-monopoly means that they have an advantage that customers have no option other than buy from them, which may be at relatively high price but since they have no alternatives.

The commodities of a “niche” market are in most cases relatively high however, this cannot be seen as a full advantage if other elements building it are not looked into. Despite that, niche commodities are higher in prices because of their uniqueness.

They attract a large population of customers relative to the number of outlets available. The slightly higher price assists a company or the entrepreneurs get a higher profit margin (Pearce & Robinson, 2011).

Customers have different tastes and preferences; this difference in tastes and preferences makes them pay more for exclusivity. Other factors make a customer be willing to pay higher for exclusivity they include: the quality of product bought at a higher cost is in most cases of a better quality than those bought at an ordinary price. In the case of niche products, customer believes that they are likely to remain longer than the standard life of other commodities.

Living standards and need to be respected for what ones have also results to willingness by customers to pay more for exclusivity. Come customers are willing to buy brand not because it is superior to substitutes but because it has status. For example, buying a BMW car instead of Toyota car and giving the reason as the notion that BMW are superior and for special people of a higher class.

One way that a niche player can chip away a larger population of the market is by undertaking an excessive market survey and recognising some products and/or services that are not offered by the larger producer then producing such products. Generally, the larger the market share, the higher the revenue from products targeting the market so the idea is to look for ways to enlarge and win more customers in the market.

An example of a company that has adopted the niche- chip-away system is Starbucks, the company has come with various products to enlarge and fragments markets an example is Frappuchino drinks and superior setting outlets (Barney, 2007).

Another example is Emirates Airline; it has invested in quality customer care services and embraced the low cost airline industry. Through various innovations, they are chipping-away the market. A third example of a successful “niche” product provider is Best Buy; it maintains a computerised customer service, where customers are entertained as they seek for assistance.

References

Barney, J. B. (2007). Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Mintzberg, H., Ghoshal, S., Lampel, J., & Quinn, J. B. (2003). The strategy process: Concepts, contexts, cases (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Pearce, J. A., & Robinson, R. B. (2011). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (12th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.