Managing the Design Factory (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Imagine that you own a business with a large bank account that pays no interest..." (more)
Key Phrases: Design Factory, Level One, Level Two (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Robert T. Franzo Manager, Messaging and Digital Mobile Radio, Wireless Communications Products, IC Group, Lucent Technologies A compelling new model for profitable product development. Don Reinertsen reveals some of the best kept secrets to running a decision and profit based development process. This book will be a key resource for organizations using product development to compete in the competitive dynamic market we all encounter. -- Review

Review

Warren S. Nix

President and CEO, Lumonics Corporation

This book is absolutely essential reading for product team leaders who must "do" rather than debate. I will require that all senior executives at Lumonics read this book.

Neil Hagglund

Corporate Vice President and Director of Corporate Technology Planning, Motorola, Inc.

A valuable and much needed view of the product development process. Engrossing and stimulating reading flill of excellent tools and firmly anchored on the basic reality of why we do product development -- to make a profit!

Art Lane

General Manager, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Storage Solutions Division

At Hewlett-Packard we continuously strive to improve our product development methods, but too often only look internally for ideas. I would recommend this book because it impresses me as a source of sound, practical advice from Don's broad industry experience.

Kevin Sharer

President and COO, Amgen

Provides real world, usable advice and challenges managers to think about issues of enduring importance.

Robert T. Franzo

Manager, Messaging and Digital Mobile Radio, Wireless Communications Products, IC Group, Lucent Technologies

A compelling new model for profitable product development. Don Reinertsen reveals some of the best kept secrets to running a decision and profit based development process. This book will be a key resource for organizations using product development to compete in the competitive dynamic market we all encounter.

Dr. Paul Borrill

Chief Scientist, Sun Microsystems

A brilliant and unique perspective on the economic and business dimensions of product design. Reinertsen's insights into the human and economic dimensions of product design are outstanding.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684839911
• ISBN-13: 978-0684839912
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,775 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #16 in	Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Marketing > Product Management
  #28 in	Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Industrial
  #30 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems > Production, Operation & Management

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable guide, January 31, 2000

By	Scott Wallace (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

I bought this and about five other books on product development. Without question, this was the best.

Reinertsen has an effective writing style that is engaging and informative. His examples are relevant and illustrative; even when not immediately on point with my business, they helped me to understand a concept.

The book builds on some fairly simple - but enormously powerful - tools including basic financial modeling and queuing theory. Reinertsen explains why the tools are relevant and how to employ them across a spectrum of businesses. He then uses the tools to substantiate some remarkable product development concepts that he presents later in the book.

The book is - thankfully - devoid of pithy phrases and buzz words. It teaches methods and ways of thinking. It doesn't profess answers, but it has driven an enormous amount of our product planning and product development efforts.

I haven't found a better book on the subject.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first book I recommend on new product development., October 18, 1999

By	David Walden (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Over years of working to improve the process of new product development in organizations with which I have been associated, I have read many books on new product development and reducing cycle time of new product development. I regularly am also asked about these topics in college and executive courses I teach. There is no single book that completely covers these topics. However, if you only have time to read one book, I think Reinertsen's book is the one to start with. It is a real eye opener. Many profound(!) and extraordinarily productive concepts and methods are presented in a reasonably sized, easy to understand volume. You won't go wrong in buying it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real thinking and action tools you can use, February 24, 2002

By	Doktor Octo "doktor_octo" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

If you're looking for a book to arm you with the latest buzzwords and easy answers, this is not for you. If you're looking for a useful framework for thinking about product design and tools for applying principles, this is an excellent buy. This book is clearly written, well-organized, and full of useful information.

Unlike many management books, it's not 20 pages of information stretched out to 200 pages in order to make a book. Also, unlike most product development books, this book is of great value not just to product managers and designers, but would be a great read for financial managers and marketing managers. A manufacturing manager reading this book will smile with satisfaction at seeing common modern manufacturing principles well applied to the design realm.

The only weak points I can think of are: 1) That it may be useful for the author to break out case studies rather than keeping them in the same typeface intermingled with the rest of the text. 2) No real advice is given on how to overcome real-world resistance to these ideas. Some sage advice on how to introduce these concepts and tools into organizations with existing biases and cultures could be a real benefit to practitioners. These are minor objections though.

Whether you're in a software start-up or part of a Fortune 500 company design team doing existing product improvement, this book contains useful information that will enhance your understanding of what you're doing right and what you could do better - and WHY!