Daniel Jugend

Product-portfolio management: A framework based on Methods, Organization, and Strategy

Product-portfolio management is a decisive element for the good performance of new product development and compliance with business objectives because it not only defines new product projects but also defines revisions, updates, and even decisions regarding the discontinuation of products that are produced and commercialized. Decision-making evaluations related to the portfolio are considered one of the main critical factors for success associated with new product development, and these decisions’ primary characteristics are the high number of project ideas with great uncertainty about results, making the management complex. This article proposes a framework with the specific objective of presenting an approach that could be useful to product-portfolio management. The framework proposed in this article presents a holistic perspective of product-portfolio management, suggesting the use of a set of formal management methods for not only evaluating product projects but also extending to organizational aspects and including them in strategic planning and portfolio reviews.

Integration in New Product Development: Case Study in a Large Brazilian High-Technology Company

Proficiency in management activities undertaken in product development processes is regarded as a key competitive advantage for companies, particularly for high-tech industrial firms, which benefit from the important competitiveness factor of launching products with a differentiated technological content. This paper’s objective was to identify, through case study, practices for integration between the roles of R & D with others involved in product development in a large Brazilian company of industrial automation. The results suggest some management practices to improve the integration in new products development, such as the use of employees from marketing with knowledge and experience previously gained from R & D activities and uses the heavyweight product manager to solve synchronization problems between product and technology development.

Ecodesign field of research throughout the world: mapping the territory by using an evolutionary lens

The development of environmentally friendly products is one of the key contemporary trends in the environmental management and planning field of knowledge. Ecodesign is considered a practical mechanism for integrating environmental considerations throughout the life cycle of the product. Within this scope, the aim of this paper is to systematize the publications on ecodesign and to propose the historical evolutionary phases of this area, considering important characteristics such as geographical distribution. To this end, a bibliometric analysis was performed by identifying key papers, authors, and journals that deal with the theme and the history of the number of papers published. Among the results, a recent growth in publications was found, with a wide range of authors conducting research and publishing papers on the subject. The majority of research is conducted in European countries, especially France and Nordic region. Most journals that publish papers on ecodesign are from the environmental field as opposed to those that deal with new product development and innovation and project management. This work also identifies historical research phases; among the most recent, it is possible to notice efforts to link ecodesign with other areas of management, such as the fuzzy method, lean product development, and project management.

Innovation in Industrial Clusters: a Survey of Footwear Companies in Brazil

The aim of this study is to characterize the relationships in innovation and business clustering processes in the productive chain of small and medium enterprises (SME) of Brazil. The object of study are SMEs the local procuctive cluster of the shoes in Franca, State of Sao Paulo. The conceptual model developed is based on the following constructs: vertical integration, innovation and characteristics of the cluster, and it is focused on identifying the agents that act predominantly in product innovation processes in the cluster. A survey was conducted. It was found that there is cooperation between the companies in the productive arrangement studied, and that shoe manufacturers are those who, predominantly, stimulate innovation within the cluster.

Organizational Issues for Integration of High-Technology in New Product Development: Framework Proposal and Case Studies in Brazilian Companies

Transference of new technological solutions requires integration between different functions and specialists involved in new product development (NPD). This paper examines management practices for integration between research and development (R&D) with others involved in NPD and proposes a framework based on organizational variables. An organizational framework (ONPD) is constructed based on an analysis of the literature and evidence of case studies in Brazilian high-tech companies. It was observed that apart from the traditional use of cross-functional teams, these companies adopted integration practices including the use of employees from marketing with experience previously gained from R&D, knowledge of the technology roadmap, and the project office structure. According to the interviewee perceptions, these initiatives may generate positive impacts on functional and organizational performance.

Integration Practices for the Technological Innovation of Products: Case Studies at Two Large Technological Companies

Studies on innovation and technology management have emphasized the importance of integration between the research and development (R&D) department and others involved with the product development process (PDP) as a relevant practice for the good performance of technological innovation of product activities. This study addresses the topic of transfers of technologies to new product projects and also integration practices between the R&D department and others involved with the PDP. A qualitative study was conducted that was operationalized through two case studies at large high-tech companies: One is Brazilian and the other is a multinational subsidiary in Brazil. Among its main result, this paper represents and analyzes management practices that are favorable to integration in product development projects that demand development and transfer of technologies, such as: participation of R&D personnel in market activities, the adoption of virtual interaction mechanisms, and the application of methods such as technology roadmaps.

The role of cross-functional integration in new product development: differences between incremental and radical innovation projects

Abstract The literature on new product development (NPD) contains several studies of management practices involved in different types of innovation. However, few studies focus on how cross-functional integration affects incremental and radical innovation product projects. The purpose of this study is to explore this aspect, from a qualitative perspective, through case studies of four high-tech firms in Brazil. Eight NPD projects were studied. The findings suggest that radical and incremental innovation NPD projects require different management practices in the studied cases. In incremental NPD projects, greater integration efforts may not be necessary. However, the following practices should be adopted in projects involving radical innovation product projects: intense involvement of technical teams, flexibility in the early stages of NPD, and geographical separation between the development team and other departments of the firm. Moreover, the application of these same practices in projects of incremental innovation in NPD may not bring positive results.

“In sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth?”: Economic crises and CSR change management in difficult times

“Economic crises” and “corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives” are two issues that dominate the modern business agenda. Although related, these issues have been analysed separately, and so a significant gap is perpetuated between the two. What are the effects of economic crises on CSR initiatives? Can organisational social initiatives withstand economic crises? The purpose of this paper is to answer these questions.,An integrative literature review was conducted, considering: the economic and geographical context in which the research was conducted; the focus of each piece of research; the adopted research methods; organisational theories of analytical support; the sectors analysed; and the effects of economic crises on CSR initiatives and environmental management.,Some of the findings were as follows: most of the studies analysed reported that CSR helps companies to cope with economic crises by increasing the efficiency of investments and establishing better relations with stakeholders and markets; environmental practices are related to negative environmental performance in periods of economic crises; and CSR relates positively to financial performance in periods of economic crises.,This is one of the first integrative literature reviews to investigate what happens to the relationship between businesses and sustainable change management in periods of crises. This paper also offers a future research agenda for the issue, with 12 questions still unanswered by the latest research.

Innovation and cross-functional teams: Analysis of innovative initiatives in a Brazilian public organization

Purpose The aim of this paper is to characterize how innovation may happen through cross-functional teams (CFT) in an organization of the public sector. Design/methodology/approach A case study helped to characterize several behavior patterns, team structures and respective links with generating innovation in internal processes and public answering contexts. Findings The results highlight that formal-temporary teams present a higher capacity to generate incremental innovation in products, whereas permanent-informal teams have a higher capacity to generate innovation in the internal processes and public answering contexts. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this research relate to the fact that this is a single case study, and although it is an important case to examine innovation and CFTs, by its very nature, it is not possible to extend and generalize the obtained data to other organizations. The evaluation of its propositions was merely qualitative, and future research is needed to validate its characteristics. Practical implications Several settings of CFTs are presented, as well as their ability to generate different types of innovation, such as the computerization of documents, petitions and papers, which decreases the time to answer the taxpayer. Moreover, CFTs can help to create products, such as computer programs that can be used not only locally but also in several public organizations related to tax management. Originality/value The field research provides the perceptions of the respondents regarding CFT characteristics that can lead to specific types of innovation, as well as the types of products or services that can be generated by these processes.

Contribuições do escritório de projetos à gestão do portfólio de produtos

Although many studies have investigated the project management office, and substantial research has also examined product portfolio management, few studies have analyzed these elements together. This paper aims to identify how the project management office can contribute to product portfolio management. The research consists of a case study at a high-tech company where the product portfolio is continuously renewed and that features a well-established project management office. Among the main results, it was observed that the project management offices participation is greater during portfolio review decisions than during decisions related to the strategic planning of products. Furthermore, the project management office supports top management and the project teams in applying financial methods and in the mapping and evaluation phases during product portfolio management activities.