Product Development For The Service Sector: Lessons From Market Leaders [Hardcover]

Robert G. Cooper (Author), Scott J. Edgett (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0738201057 | ISBN-13: 978-0738201054 | Publication Date: October 1, 1999 0

As the lines between products and services become less and less distinct, many managers and consultants advocate that manufacturing companies learn to think like the service sector—get close to the customer, offer multi-dimensional solutions, provide high-quality support. But in today’s highly competitive and constantly changing marketplace, managers in service industries, such as banking, insurance, financial services, utilities, and retailing, can benefit enormously by thinking like manufacturers—employing a rigorous product development model to create and test new offerings, develop the most promising ones, and see them to market successfully. In Product Development for the Service Sector, product development experts Cooper and Edgett draw from their extensive research, teaching, and consulting experience to offer service sector executives and managers a comprehensive overview of the principles of product development and how they can be successfully applied in any service industry.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert G. Cooper is a professor of marketing at McMaster University. Founder of the widely employed StageGate product development process, he lives in Oakville, Ontario. Scott J. Edgett is associate professor of marketing at McMaster University and director of the Product Development Institute. He lives in Ancaster, Ontario. Elko J. Kleinschmidt is professor of marketing and international business and director of the engineering and management program at McMaster University. He lives in Ancaster, Ontario. Robert G. Cooper is a professor of marketing at McMaster University. Founder of the widely employed StageGate product development process, he lives in Oakville, Ontario. Scott J. Edgett is associate professor of marketing at McMaster University and director of the Product Development Institute. He lives in Ancaster, Ontario. Elko J. Kleinschmidt is professor of marketing and international business and director of the engineering and management program at McMaster University. He lives in Ancaster, Ontario.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738201057
• ISBN-13: 978-0738201054
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #716,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, Practical Book But Repetitive, June 30, 2000

By 

Leng Ho Keat - See all my reviews

This review is from: Product Development For The Service Sector: Lessons From Market Leaders (Hardcover)

This is a very good book for managers of new service development processes. It offers a framework for designing and implementing a new service development process and there are many good advice and techniques in the book that I believe will prove invaluable to these managers. I expect this is the result of the 1,500 case studies that the authors have conducted.

I especially liked the sections that the authors have entitled "Points for Management to Ponder". These short bits, interspersed throughout the book, forces a reader to link the theories to actual situations in a company. I found such exercises beneficial to the learning process.

However, I found that the authors tend to repeat themselves throughout the book. For example, Chapter 4 and 5 are essentially the same. Chapter 4 walks through the framework fairly quickly with a real case example while Chapter 5 examines the general framework in detail. I believe the 2 chapters could have been combined without much loss to content.

I recommend this book to practitioners, as this is a very practical book. For readers who just want to know more about service development but are currently not involved in any development work, this book is not for you. Like me, you may find some of the framework difficult to understand without a real case to relate to.

4.0 out of 5 stars "Winning at New Services", April 22, 2011

By 

Eric van der Meulen (Wixom, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Product Development For The Service Sector: Lessons From Market Leaders (Hardcover)

This book is "Winning at New Products" for the service sector. The good news is that it can be used independent of any of Cooper's other titles. The bad news is that it can be used independent... In other words, if you are already familiar with the nuts and bolts of the stage-gate process, the amount of revelations is relatively small. In spite of this mild criticism, I have to commend the authors for probably the first of very few - even to this date - books on the subject of service development. So, much like "Winning at New Products", this book can be considered foundational in understanding the process of new service development. If you are new to the stage-gate process, and are in any service industry or product industry with strong service focus, this is mandatory reading.

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lessons from the master, June 24, 2000

By 

William K. Westray (Cumming, Ga USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Product Development For The Service Sector: Lessons From Market Leaders (Hardcover)

Well written and full of understandings... Bob, as with all his books, has made many key points. An excellent read for anyone who's business is dependent on new services and believes that luck is not a sustainable advantage. If you believe that the event or experience marketing is the key to most sales, then becoming excellent in launching new services is a must.