Investigating the effect of a new product development process on organisational performance

The ability to bring products to market which comply with quality, cost and development time goals is vital to the survival of firms in a competitive environment. New product development comprises knowledge creation and search and can be organised in different ways. New product development requires the close collaboration of virtually all functions within a company. The existence of an effective cross-functional team, with clearly-defined objectives, is thus critical to the successful development of any new product. Furthermore, the success of new products depends mainly on the new product development process. The purpose of this research study is to review literature on new product development processes and the effect it has on organisational performance and also to take a critical look at the new product development and implementation (NPD & I) process applied in Telecom Namibia (TN). This study also provides insights to various TN stakeholders, particularly senior management and relevant individuals involved in product development, enabling individuals to recognise the role product development plays towards sustainability of the company. The study also provides a working guide for managers to identify opportunities for improving the new product development (NPD) process. The primary research objective is to critically audit the effect of new product development processes on TN’s performance. The secondary research objective is to develop frameworks and methodologies for guiding the development of effective strategies that have been tested in numerous businesses. A major finding of this study is that the success of new products depends mainly on the new product development process and that it has a major impact on organisational performance.