Findings and results matrix
| Investigated category | Interview findings | Procedures, documents and observed facts in interviews findings | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product development current method and its importance for business | It is part of medium and long-term strategy Development is carried through partnerships between commercial and development areas Low financial resource allocated to product development (by low margin of the business itself) Difficulties in finding manufacturing partners to develop small batches (financial limitation) Have experience in the products’ curve, involving financial risk in maturation Difficulty to gain scale in development process | 30% of the revenue (Source: Analytical Sales Report) Upper margin if compared to other products (Source: Contribution Margin Report) R$7,000 by each product development leaving aside initial working capital (Source: Management Report) Visit observation: innovative showroom, developed products called customers’ attention when exposed, design truly creative Visit observation: the fact that the directors have limited work time, restricts product development | Development process is crucial for organization. It is part of medium- and long-term strategies and refers to business survival Development is carried through partnerships between commercial and development areas, headed by operation and innovation’s director (who accumulates this role) The greatest difficulties for product development are: budget constraint for development and boosts, to find manufacturing partners to develop prototypes and small initial batches (currently the main partner requires a large batch in the first order) and the cost for product maturation in its lifespan (and becomes profitable) The need to improve their own product development method in order to expand their capacity for new launches |
| Fast learning cycle and minimum viable product | Common market barrier to the product acceptance in this market, usually generates financial loss by discontinuity and effort with no result in development | In the held visits it was verified that, currently, the company does not carry any research, however, small, with real customers utilizing their prototypes | To implement a directed research, even with virtual models, seeking to gain publics acceptance in relation to the proposal. It happens/this is because in at the project stage, important matters issues might may not have been considered or valued. The tests will allow the identification of problems and will give the opportunity to solve them still in product development stage. This practice would cooperate for cost reduction in losses (do not manufacture something non adherent to the customer’s need) and would reduce the development cycle |
| Entrepreneurial leadership and team of specialists | The ideal would be to exist internal specialists developing market research seeking to find opportunities | Observed in income statement demonstrative, budget constraint to upgrade development team Observed in visits the technical high level of the director, who manages the development | A leader more familiar with this market, and who possess technical and intrinsic training, would result in a great benefit. It would better integrate the companies’ departments and would certainly increase agility in products’ creation The cost of maintaining a leader with this profile is still a limiting factor. That is why the development is still maintained under the associate’s management. An observed alternative would be the use of strategic partners to meet this diversion, in other words, human resources qualified to temporarily execute these activities with a defined purpose |
| Set-based concurrent engineering | It is beneficial. Moreover, it is applicable to a business model including the product’s raw material to be developed. In this universe of product creation, there are some material options that may be considered for the furniture production | In the visits, it was observed that currently the multiple alternatives are not considered even with supplier partners | Material possibilities as well as production process, will impact directly in the final result and in the cost without, necessarily, compromise the initial design proposed. Therefore, it was considerable viable the initial work with multiple simultaneous alternatives, especially in the stage that precedes the prototype. An instant change would be involving even more the key suppliers in the process of development in preliminary stages, in order to generate and work with concurrent engineering, what would bring agility and even greater efficiency to the process |
| Cadence, continuous flow and pull | Each stage of product development generates specific demand for people or departments within the organization. Providing each one the necessary and fair amount of information in accordance with immediate need that the task demands is undoubtedly a huge challenge. However, information overload or its lack is between the main factors for waste of time and resources in the company, according to the interviewed director | It was verified in the visits, lack of structured reports focused in product development, for example, management of their own development funnel | As a recommendation it was verified the need to implement personal and simple management systems for administration of this funnel, assuring a greater communication between the people involved, including key suppliers |
| Investigated category | Interview findings | Procedures, documents and observed facts in interviews findings | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product development current method and its importance for business | It is part of medium and long-term strategy | 30% of the revenue (Source: Analytical Sales Report) | Development process is crucial for organization. It is part of medium- and long-term strategies and refers to business survival |
| Fast learning cycle and minimum viable product | Common market barrier to the product acceptance in this market, usually generates financial loss by discontinuity and effort with no result in development | In the held visits it was verified that, currently, the company does not carry any research, however, small, with real customers utilizing their prototypes | To implement a directed research, even with virtual models, seeking to gain publics acceptance in relation to the proposal. It happens/this is because in at the project stage, important matters issues might may not have been considered or valued. The tests will allow the identification of problems and will give the opportunity to solve them still in product development stage. This practice would cooperate for cost reduction in losses (do not manufacture something non adherent to the customer’s need) and would reduce the development cycle |
| Entrepreneurial leadership and team of specialists | The ideal would be to exist internal specialists developing market research seeking to find opportunities | Observed in income statement demonstrative, budget constraint to upgrade development team | A leader more familiar with this market, and who possess technical and intrinsic training, would result in a great benefit. It would better integrate the companies’ departments and would certainly increase agility in products’ creation |
| Set-based concurrent engineering | It is beneficial. Moreover, it is applicable to a business model including the product’s raw material to be developed. In this universe of product creation, there are some material options that may be considered for the furniture production | In the visits, it was observed that currently the multiple alternatives are not considered even with supplier partners | Material possibilities as well as production process, will impact directly in the final result and in the cost without, necessarily, compromise the initial design proposed. Therefore, it was considerable viable the initial work with multiple simultaneous alternatives, especially in the stage that precedes the prototype. An instant change would be involving even more the key suppliers in the process of development in preliminary stages, in order to generate and work with concurrent engineering, what would bring agility and even greater efficiency to the process |
| Cadence, continuous flow and pull | Each stage of product development generates specific demand for people or departments within the organization. Providing each one the necessary and fair amount of information in accordance with immediate need that the task demands is undoubtedly a huge challenge. However, information overload or its lack is between the main factors for waste of time and resources in the company, according to the interviewed director | It was verified in the visits, lack of structured reports focused in product development, for example, management of their own development funnel | As a recommendation it was verified the need to implement personal and simple management systems for administration of this funnel, assuring a greater communication between the people involved, including key suppliers |
Source: Own authorship
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