Design of Goods and Services

Product Life Cycles

How product design is applied in decision-making of that organization?

Design decision making at (organization name) involves generating a series of product alternatives using very clear criteria. The goal is evaluate which solutions maximize value and function, but minimize costs. This approach is based on a need to shorten product development cycles to get new products to market faster. The market can be very intense and competitive. Therefore, the company is always eager to gain a competitive advantage by reaching consumers with the best product possible before others in the industry. This means that front-end strategic planning is a must have when design decisions are being made. Poor decisions during product development can lead to products that no one wants to buy or that are so expensive they cannot be manufactured in sufficient quantity (Cao & Folan, 2012). Thus, (organization name) has come to understand that design decisions made early in the product life cycle truly have a bottom line impact on the profitability of a product over its entire life cycle.

Can you describe a Product Life Cycle in the organization?

The primary stages a new product goes through in the marketplace are Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline (Sy & Mascle, 2011). At (organization name), senior leads have further defined the product life cycle internally by categorizing it into four major processes. The first process is Conception. This phase is very much customer oriented. It involves the planning of the product's major technical parameters including concept design, customer concerns and feedback, specifications and design and planning. The Design process involves everything from initial idea from prototype testing, to pilot release to full market launch of the new product (Cao & Folan, 2012). During this part of the lifecycle there is validation and simulation testing as well as re-engineering of product designs if warranted. There may be various versions of a product, created after discussions with focus groups and quality control experts. Their opinions contribute heavily to final decisions.

The Realize & Build process is the organization's approach to manufacturing -- bringing all product components together for process simulation operations which may include casting, molding, or machining. Manufacturing has to be planned, mapped out and evaluated, and quality checks must be performed before a full scale manufacture can begin. If all of the aforementioned product cycle processes have been successful, the product will do well in the market. Weaker competitors will leave or lose ground and company profits will increase (Sy & Mascle, 2011).

The last process in the lifecycle is referred to as the Service process and occurs after manufacturing and full scale market launch. It involves the management of service information which guides customer and service engineers who may repair or maintain the product. The Service portion of the lifecycle is important because it ensures the longevity of the product and offers helpful cues for the end of the product's life such as proper waste management and recycling information.

How are different issues for Product Development addressed in the organization?