Project Management in Product Development: Leadership Skills and Management Techniques to Deliver Great Products is written for new and aspiring project managers in product development. Although texts on project management are common, the material presented here is unique, instead focusing on product development, a challenging segment of project management because of the high level of uncertainty, the need for a robust set of problem-solving techniques, and a demand for broad cross-functional teams. The book also focuses on more than just project management techniques, including a thorough treatment of transformational and transactional leadership. Other topics covered include problem-solving techniques, development, and continuous improvement of processes required in product development, risk recognition and management, and proper communication with mangers and other stakeholders. Finally, project management techniques used in product development are presented, including the critical path method, scrum and XP, and Kanban/lean project development, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each. - Provides ways to successfully manage product development projects by teaching traditional and advanced project management techniques like Gantt, CPM, Agile, Lean, and others - Covers transformational and transactional leadership, how to create a vision and engage the team, as well as tactics on how to manage a complex set of tasks - Uses a practical, common sense approach to the day-to-day activities of a project manager, including project planning, project process development, problem-solving, project portfolio management, reporting, and more - Presents a thorough comparison of popular project management tools - Includes many examples, cases, and side-bars that are included throughout the book

This comprehensive book provides a complete guide to managing projects involving the development of new products. It aims to give the practising project manager an insight into the many processes that are involved in handling one of the most complex of industrial activities. The book is arranged in a logical sequence covering the development of project management, project management structures, aspects of planning, monitoring and control, economics and value management, design management, intellectual property issues and production start-up. Particular emphasis has been given to risk management which is recognized as both a difficult subject and also one of growing importance to today’s project manager, especially in product innovation. A complete explanation is given of the latest and most relevant techniques together with guidance as to where and how they should be applied. Where software tools are available these are named and, in some cases, brief descriptions are included; in all cases contact details of the vendors are provided.

The comprehensive guide to project management implementation, updated with the latest in the field Project management has spread beyond the IT world to become a critical part of business in every sphere; built on efficiency, analysis, and codified practice, professional project management leads to the sort of reproducible results and reliable processes that make a business successful. Project Management Best Practices provides implementation guidance for every phase of a project, based on the real-world methodologies from leading companies around the globe. Updated to align with the industry’s latest best practices, this new Fourth Edition includes new discussion on Agile and Scrum, tradeoffs and constraints, Portfolio PMO tools, and much more. Get up-to-date information on the latest best practices that add value at every level of an organization Gain insight from more than 50 project managers at world-class organizations including Airbus, Heineken, RTA, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, Cisco, Nokia, and more Delve deeper into implementation guidance for Agile, Scrum, and Six Sigma Explore more efficient methodologies, training, measurement, and metrics that boost organization-wide performance Adopt new approaches to culture and behavioral excellence, including conflict resolution, situational leadership, proactive management, staffing, and more Ideal for both college and corporate training, this book is accompanied by an Instructor’s Manual and PowerPoint lecture slides that bring project management concepts right into the classroom. As the field continues to grow and evolve, it becomes increasingly important to stay current with new and established practices; this book provides comprehensive guidance on every aspect of project management, with invaluable real-world insight from leaders in the field.

The global consumer product market is exploding. In 2006 alone, 150,000 new products were brought to market. Now for the bad news: of those, fewer than 5% were hits, and fewer than 15% will even exist five years from now. Written for small business owners and entrepreneurs looking for an inside track on new product development, New Product Development for Dummies offers you a unique opportunity to learn from two consummate insiders the secrets of successfully developing, marketing and making a bundle from a new product or service. You learn proven techniques for sizing up market potential and divining customer needs. You get tested-in-the-trenches strategies for launching a new product or service. And you get a frank, in-depth appraisal of the most challenging issues facing new product developers today, including the need to collaborate with global partners, optimizing technology development for a 21st century marketplace, getting start-up capital in an increasingly competitive environment, and much more. Key topics covered include: Developing a winning NPD strategy Generating bold new ideas for products and services Understanding what your customers really want Keeping projects on track, on budget, and on-time Building effective cross-functional teams Planning and executing a blockbuster launch Collaborating with global partners Maximizing your chances for success No matter what size or type of business you’re in, this book provides you with an unbeatable competitive advantage in the booming global marketplace for new products and services.

Based on methods of actual product developments from Goodyear Aerospace and Hewlett-Packard, this engrossing book provides specific guidelines plus a wealth of data for rapid and efficient development of new products using a systems theory which works vertically through an industry's management structure and horizontally across functions that contribute to new product development. Demonstrates how to integrate the best available tools with appropriate techniques and how to deliver new products within performance objectives and budget. An abundance of checklists, data and reference material enable readers to implement the methods presented.

Senior executives and project managers from more than 50 world-class companies offer their best practices for successful project management implementation The first two editions of the bestselling Project Management Best Practices helped project managers navigate the increasingly complex task of working within global corporations employing distant and diverse work teams. This new Third Edition includes the same valuable wealth of proven best practices, while following up on case studies from previous editions and offering new case studies on project management practices at large and small companies. The Third Edition offers insight from project managers and executives at more than fifty global companies in all sectors of the market. These industry-leading professionals offer insight and best practices for: Project risk management Project management for multinational cultures and cultural failures Focusing on value, as well as cost and schedule Integrated and virtual project teams Covering the latest developments in the project management field, Project Management Best Practices, Third Edition offers a must-have window into the issues and solutions facing corporate managers, project and team managers, engineers, project team members, and business consultants in today's global market.

New Product Development is one of the most important challenges facing organizations today. The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) Handbook of New Product Development 3rd Edition provides an exceptional review of cutting edge topics for both new and experienced product development leaders. It offers a comprehensive and updated guide to the practices, processes and tools critical to achieving and sustaining new product/service development success in today’s world, delivering valuable information about the fundamentals as well as emerging practices such as venturing, virtual product development and the use of social media in NPD. As the premier global advocate for professionals and organizations working in the fields of new product/service development, PDMA has assembled in the Handbook unique content on the critical aspects of product development success including its 2012 Best Practices Research, Lessons Learned from its Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award Winners and keys to success from organizations with proven innovation track records. The 3rd Edition is an essential reference for anyone with responsibility for product development activities, from novices looking for fundamentals to experts seeking insights on emerging concepts, and is relevant for all functions and all product/service industries.

Identifying the origins and evolution of innovation and project management, this unique Handbook explains why and how the two fields have grown and developed as separate disciplines, highlighting how and why they are now converging. It explores the theoretical and practical connections between the management of innovations and projects, examining the close relationship between the disciplines.

ADVANCED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITATIVE STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING PROJECT MANAGEMENT Senior managers at world-class corporations open their office doors to discuss case studies that demonstrate their thought processes and actual strategies that helped them lead their companies to excellence in project management in less than six years! Following the Project Management Institute’s Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®), industry leaders address: Project risk management Project portfolio management The Project Office Project management multinational cultures Integrated project teams and virtual project teams