The patterns of success in product development: a case study

Success in product development can be considered a general aim for any R&D activity. Unfortunately, success is very multidimensional. Which dimensions of success one should include and how one can measure these dimensions is an essential question that must be resolved within R&D management. The aim of the paper is to analyse the multidimensionality of success at R&D project level. Using the evidence from three industrial cases, the paper shows the versatility of the concept of success in product development. On the basis of the evidence, the paper concludes that there is often only a vague correlation between three aspects of R&D success – financial, technical and project management. The focus of the paper is on the development of investment goods for the paper industry.