Product Creation: The Heart of the Enterprise from Engineering to E-Commerce [Hardcover]

Philip H. Francis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2000

This is a guide, for managers and company executives, that provides information about achieving business excellence through product development. The book goes beyond the design and production techniques to address the entire development process from manufacturing strategy and IT systems to intellectual property and the management of research and development technology.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Francis is the author of Principles of R&D Management (1977), a standard in the field of corporate and industrial research and development. R&D is the function that applies scientific and technological innovations to creating new products. Francis now emphasizes that responsibility for bringing new products to market belongs to every business function within an enterprise. These functions include not only product development but also manufacturing, information technology systems, leadership, customer service and customer relations, quality control, operations, legal oversight, and research. His goal is to bridge the gap between managers and engineers so that the entire organization works as a team. Frances has worked for companies that are well known for innovative products. Hence his advice is filled with practical insight, and he offers specific, concrete "ideas for action" as he considers the roles of each of the aforementioned functions. David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

William White Professor of Industrial Engineering, Northwestern University, and former CEO, Bell & Howell From TQM to knowledge management -- using the metaphor of the waterwheel, Francis explains them all and gives you ideas on the best use of each technique. I would recommend Product Creation to anyone who is involved in new product development from a "greenhorn" manager to a CEO. -- Review

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 273 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1st edition (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684862301
• ISBN-13: 978-0684862309
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,877,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Covering All the Bases, April 9, 2001

By 

Gerald M. Hoffman (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Product Creation: The Heart of the Enterprise from Engineering to E-Commerce (Hardcover)

Francis' book should be read - and heeded - by anyone interested in creating successful new products. It is particularly valuable because it provides a comprehensive view of the processes and problems of creating new products. He not only describes the core process from idea generation through product launch, but he also includes the often neglected issues of information systems support, accounting for the costs and benefits of R&D programs, and patents and other legal issues associated with intellectual property.

The scope of the work is broader than it first appears to be. Francis, a well-known expert in manufacturing, describes product creation processes and methodologies equally useful for manufactured products and for service "products".

The book is rich in checklists on important topics, such as metrics of R&D performance, computing your leadership quotient, and motivating workers. He ends each chapter with a section called "Ideas for Action". These are tips on what to do to move from his printed page to action in the reader's organization. They are very useful.

The most important message of the book is that successful product creation cannot be left to the R&D department; it requires the joint efforts of every organizational function. People from other departments who affect product creation will find this book very valuable, as will the R&D people themselves.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Product Creation is the heart of the enterprise from engineering to e-commerce, February 20, 2006

By 

Louise McCauley (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Product Creation: The Heart of the Enterprise from Engineering to E-Commerce (Hardcover)

In order for any organization to fuel its growth, it must excel at product development. How to do this? An organization must first approach development with new proposals from every corner of the organization. Evaluate these ideas rationally and systematically and then select the best ideas. The organization's goal is to create a portfolio of the best selected ideas to help the organization grow. An organization must then manage these projects in four stages: building case justification, concept feasibility, product development, and pilot and production startup.

Taking a new product from the basic idea to the product requires many steps that are connected in specific ways. An organization must rely on marketing intelligence, product definition, planning, research and development, process development, product launch, and after sales service. To be successful an organization must learn:

· Brainstorm new product ideas
· Coordinate the production and manufacturing processes
· Ensure an effective IT system is in place
· Lead the development instead of just managing
· Create loyal customers and keep them satisfied
· Create a quality product or service
· Measure and manage operations
· Manage the organization's intellectual property
· Manage the organization's liability
· Create effective Research and Development Systems
· Harness technology now and in the future