Method Application in New Product Development and the Impact on Product Success

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of methods in new product development and their impact on product success. Based on a large sample totaling 410 development projects, we show which methods are used with the greatest frequency. For each method, we also highlight the differences in application between particularly successful and unsuccessful product development projects. Additionally, we identify methods whose adoption correlates strongly with the success of the developed product. Further, we examine which combinations of methods promise to deliver the most successful outcomes, thus showing how the success rates for new products can be improved systematically.