Vincent Boly

New Product Development Process (NPDP): updating the identification stage practices

This survey focuses on the early stages of the new product development process. More precisely, it is mostly concerned with the definition of the basic initial concepts required to initiate the design tasks within an innovative project. The article presents an original systemic approach that enables the identification of technological opportunity within all potential markets. The method is consistent with technological strategies that aim to improve the effective use of company knowledge, to reduce time development and to master innovation costs. This article will mostly develop the opportunity step, based on an original descriptive model of needs. Moreover, authors present an experiment involving a panel of six firms aiming at the validation of the descriptive model and an improvement of the approach.

Studying the implications and impact of smartphones on self-directed learning under a Living Lab approach

Widespread diffusion of mobile learning applications in recent years raises several questions on the dynamics of learning processes and learner profiles. This paper examines smartphone-based learning processes and the main factors influencing them. The paper also examines the potential contribution of Self-Directed Learning (SDL), and how it could support mobile learning processes. A framework for mobile-based learning is proposed as a step towards the development of a living lab-based experimental protocol. This research highlights the first of several SDL application lifecycle steps: the elaboration of mobile learning content including the integration of the future users in this design process through a living labs approach.

Towards a Constructivist Approach of Technological Innovation Management

Abstract: This chapter describes a constructivist approach to the understanding of technological innovation management within French SMEs. Firstly, it presents findings from technological innovation surveys in French SMEs and analyzes the emerging trends (e.g. the non-existence of a single ideal new product development process, a high degree of variability of technological evolution, and the importance of cognitive aspects). Secondly it describes a constructivist approach and its key aspects (e.g. development of a value-oriented strategy; a systemic vision of innovation management through its three levels: strategy, piloting, and sparking), as well as limitations of current practices in different kind of French SMEs.

Overview of phenomena occurring in supply chains during the emergence of innovation

ABSTRACT Innovation impacts the company but also its environment. This paper considers several case studies to identify impacts of an innovation on companies’ external supply chain. The aim is to understand how characteristics of the innovation, such as new technology adoption or new market introduction, among others, influence the firm supply chain structure. Moreover, the vision of the people involved in innovative projects is explored and a methodology is proposed to determine misfits between the initial supply chain and future supply chain. To reach these goals, implemented adjustments during past innovation projects of surveyed firms, were observed and analyzed in order to understand how companies act to meet the needs of the product in terms of supply chain design. The results of this research highlight different phenomena to take in account during the elaboration of a new supply chain to optimize the performance and ensure the success of the innovation.

From descriptive customer data to need definition: a formalised approach

Need is a major concern when designing a new product and, consequently, need analysis is a key task during the front end of innovative projects. However, need remains a paradoxical concept, something that everyone feels, accepts and understands, but is difficult to model. This research contributes to the theoretical and methodological aspect of need. To elaborate a need analysis methodology adapted to the first steps of innovative projects, a literature review highlights the main characteristics of this concept and collects definitions within a large scope of disciplines. Based on these theoretical elements and on a systemic approach, a model is suggested to describe the needs of targeted stakeholders. This model aims at the treatment of descriptive data concerning the functioning modes of customers and other involved stakeholders in order to define individual needs. An example of application of the method is detailed among a large panel of experimental innovative projects.

A new innovation project maturity assessment methodology based on innovation degree

Decision making about launching (or not) an innovation project remains an uncertain task for managers, since each project have different characteristics representing a new challenge for the company. Indeed, the development and introduction of a new product involve changes on the way the firm designs, produces, distributes or sells its products. So decision-making tools are needed to take into account both, the project uniqueness and the product impact on the current and future technological systems. This article proposes a methodology to minimize the risks of failure of innovation projects, taking into account the degree of novelty and complexity. The aim is to determine the minimum threshold profile to develop optimally the project. The methodology is applied to two innovation projects with different degrees of novelty and complexity.

Evaluating the Impact of the Development of Innovative Products: A Multi-agent Systems Based Methodology

This article highlights the need to assess the impact of the innovation over its environment in general sense, as a factor determining its future success. This impact has to be evaluated, not only taking into account the vendor-customer relationship, but studying the entire network of actors of the innovations environment. First, a comprehensive analysis of the meaning of the term impact is made, its implications and the ways of measured it are exposed as well. The relevance of the Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) to represent and formalize the network of actors and its dynamic (dependency and interaction) is evaluated. Then, a new impact assessment methodology based in multi-agent systems is proposed and illustrated through an example.