Product Development Strategies for Success

This assignment delves into the product development strategies employed by a company aiming to fulfill customer demands. It outlines the detailed steps taken in developing new products, emphasizing the evaluation process before launch. The report highlights the operational manager's role in implementing these strategies and analyzes their impact on sales and productivity.

OPERATIONAL AND
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................................3
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.........................................................................................................................3
RELATIONSHIP AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ASPECT OF PROCESS DEISGN.............................4
DIAGRAMMATIC FORM OF PROPOSED STAGES OF PRODUCT/SERVICE DEVELOPMENT.....5
IMPACT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES ON PRODUCT AND
SERVICES..................................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Operational management can be said as planning and execution of operation in a proper
manner. This is includes providing better services to their customers, manufacturing best quality
of products, Supply chain collaboration between various firms. For a successful and survival of
the organization, it is necessary that effective management of operations is carried out which is
very important for a company (Crawford, 2014). Lidl is one of the biggest supermarket chains
with around 10,000 stores across Europe and USA. This report will include a product which has
been modified with in order to give better services to their customers. Its aim and objectives for
enhancing the performance of an organization so that it moves in forward direction. Impact and
significance of new products in an organization is also mentioned in this report.
OVERVIEW
Lidl is one of the famous multinational supermarket with it’s headquarter in Germany;
this provides goods in discount rates. Currently it has approximately 10,000+ stores around USA
and Europe with around 315,000 numbers of employees. Company was launched in the year
1930 by Josef Schwarz but it was not a big hit due to war and was destroyed in 1944. Later after
some years it was re-launched by Dieter Schwarz, mainly focused on making this a whole sale
market.
Lidi is currently selling products that include grocery items, household items, health and
beauty products etc., they are providing superior quality commodities which are best in class.
They are working in collaboration with many organizations like Red tractor, The Rainforest
Alliance and Marine Stewardship Council (Badiru and Osisanya, 2016). It also gives best
services to their customers and implemented latest new tools and technologies for the same.
Product which has been included here in this report is W5 all purpose vacuum cleaner for house,
with some modifications. Materials which are used will be somewhat different from the previous
products. It is light in weight with superior designing. This product can be used anywhere
whether you are in house or at office. Structure and provided system is so handy that even a
youngster can operate it without any problem. This is available to the customers at a very
reasonable rate which a normal person can afford.
Under this Operation Manager is trying to build better consumer services so that items
are delivered to right person at right time and this is gradually increasing sales and productivity
of Lidl in a particular area. With proper planning and development they are able to maintain
excellent partnership with other business enterprise (Martens and Carvalho, 2016).
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Aims and objectives are most important because these helps company to achieve their set
targets and goals in specific time period in order to get maximum benefits from their products.
The main aim of W5 all purpose cleaner is to consolidate and strengthen the position of Lidl

Company and also to provide desired services to their customers. The product will be more
affective in terms of its work, this will take care of health and hygiene as it has a capacity to kill
more germs as compared to earlier products. W5 all purpose cleaner is safe and anybody of
different age group can use for better results (Kerzner and Saladis, 2017). The product is low at
cost, so people from various sectors can buy without any hesitation. This will gradually increase
the sales and productivity of the company. Their market shares and values will be enhanced,
through which they will get a superior positions in the market area. They are also using latest
tools and technologies for making the product more effective.
RELATIONSHIP AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ASPECT OF PROCESS
DEISGN
To know the quality of their product it is important that they take feedbacks from their
customers on a regular basis. Product and service designs are somewhat interrelated to process
design; products and services should be designed in such a manner that after final results it must
give effective outcomes whereas process should be created in such a way that company can
introduce its new product to their customers significantly. Thus, it is important that firm takes
proper decisions so that it does not harm the entire cycle (Andersen, 2016).
Product design: This can be said as a concept in which an idea is generated and
developed, testing and manufacturing is done with the implementation of physical objects and
services. It is all done by project management team who are well assigned for this job. They
consider all the aspects in a systematic ways in order to make the product more reliable. Product
designer look out for all combination art and design which he/she can use to make their product
more unique and as per the customer’s needs and wants. They also make use of latest tolls and
techniques; W5 all purpose vacuum cleaner is designed in such a manner that every person can
handle it. The product is so light weight and handy that anybody can take it from one place to
another without much effort.
Process design: It is considered while manufacturing new products; in other words it
brings commodities into reality. This includes systematic steps which enable company to
produce its product according to the desired quality with ample number of quantity. This is
manufactured in such a way that if required they can make changes as per the current market
situations and customers needs and satisfaction (Cserhati and Szabo, 2014).

Link between Product and Process Design
Process design is a dynamic in nature and ensures that customers are provided with goods
and services which are available to them at minimum cost. Thus product designer should have
the capability of expecting changes in reference with volume, quality, material which are used,
proper planning of the whole process in which the entire operations are included (Rolstadås and
et. al., 2014). This has helped the Lidl to manufacture W5 all purpose Vacuum cleaner in an
appropriately way as all the expectations were met and customer’s satisfaction was achieved. It
played a very significant role in manufacturing the product because this assisted the company to
finish the final goods in specific time period with the help of new technologies and skilled
employees. Therefore, all this process aid organization to attain their objectives and goals in an
appropriate manner.
DIAGRAMMATIC FORM OF PROPOSED STAGES OF
PRODUCT/SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
In this process a product is produced with new or modified characteristics and additional benefits
which are provided to the consumers. In this the commodity is fully formulated as per the customer’s
Idea of Product
Feasibility Study
Product design Process design
Planning of the
product
Product advanced
design
Evaluation of the
product
Organizing the process
Flows
Evaluating process
design
Product and Market

satisfaction in order to get the superior position in the market. It includes certain steps which company
should follow to make reliable products and these are as follows:
Figure 1: Steps of Product Development, 2018
Generating an idea: This is the first step of product development in which, an idea is
generated regarding product, it can be in any form. It depends about the mind and how creative
the thought is while manufacturing any commodity (Kerzner, 2015). This includes certain steps
which are mentioned below:
 Internal sources: This kind of approach is very helpful for employees because many
companies give incentives to their works that come up with new, innovative or
creative ideas.
 SWOT analysis: It helps company to identify its strength, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats so that they come with better and reasonable ideas for their commodities.
 Market research: Monitoring the situation and circumstances of market area on a
regular basis will assist firm to know about the behavior of market at particular area.
 Customers: They are the most important element because company’s value and
profit is depends on them. Reviews and feedbacks aid organization to make
alterations in their products (Lievre and Tang, 2015).
 Competition: Firm should run their business according to the current market
situations so that they can get maximum profits from their products which are
launched. This will also help them in giving tough fight to rival companies.

Screening of an idea: In person’s mind may ideas pop up, but what important is to
identify the best amongst them and apply that in their work. The second step is all about
evaluating new creative thoughts which will aid them in development and creating good and
feasible ideas. Some of the factors are to be look out before manufacturing any products and they
are; strength and weakness of the organization, needs & wants of customers, present trends in
society and many more.
Concept development and Testing: It is the third step of product development in which a
detailed strategy and blueprint is made that is to be followed by the company throughout the
whole process. Thus, this all aspects are taken into consideration so that it can be presentable.
Ideas that passed the screening stage are then converted into concepts which are essential before
launching any product. After this they are bought into targeted market that helps them in
knowing the exact value of the commodity in market area. It is necessary in order to evaluate
customer’s feeling about the product. Thence, it will assist firm to manufacture goods as per the
consumer’s wish (vom Brocke and Lippe, 2015).
Business strategy analysis & Development: After the previous step mentioned above this
aid organization to come up with final concept about the commodity which is to be developed.
As the concept is generated it’s time for firm to analyze and decide the marketing strategies as
per the recent trends. Product profitability is estimated, marketing mix and strategies for
branding of a product in a proper manner is decided by the organization. Other than this it also
involves competition of the product; whether there is any similar product in the market, Cost is
also included if the product is introduced is reasonable at rate or not. Company should have a
separate department for deciding the price for this they should ensure that appropriate pricing
strategies has been implemented.
Development of Product: When all the strategies are accepted the process of developing
a new product comes into existence. In this company build up a prototype or a model which is
required for manufacturing fresh commodities. Various strategies regarding branding which are
decided previously are tested here in this step before formulating in future. This helps
organization in knowing if there are any cons in the product so that it can be eliminated before
introducing the commodity.
Market testing: It is necessary for company to actual situation of the market and for this
they create a prototype which assists them in research and feedbacks about their goods. Reviews
are taken with the help of primary data source in order to get authenticated results (Görög, 2016).
It will aid them in making further changes in their commodities if required so as to build its
product more valuable in nature. This process is relevant because it validate the whole process
before the firm is ready to introduce its fresh goods.
Commercialization: It is considered as the last step of product development in which
organization makes certain marketing strategies so that they can commercialize their products.

For this organization uses latest tools and techniques for advertising so that every person can be
aware of the new items which is launched by any company. Lidl is using latest trending sources
in order to promote its commodities like internet, social media sites, newspapers, magazines and
many more. This involves assigning different roles to various departments so as to execute the
plan in appropriate manner. Every minor and major element is included before the final steps in
come into being and i.e. introducing the product in market area (8 Steps of product development,
2017).
Pricing strategy and introducing the products: This is the final step in which the price of
the commodity is decided so that customers can know how much money they have to spend to
buy this item. As Lidl is whole sale store its rates are reasonable as compared to other
supermarkets. After this they launch their commodity various stores and market from where it is
available to all their consumers.
IMPACT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES ON
PRODUCT AND SERVICES
Performance objective is important in order to maintain its impact and significance of
product and service. This includes long term benefits which will be provided by the commodity
to firm. Sectors that are to be taken into consideration are as follows:
 Quality: W5 all purpose vacuum cleaner is best in quality and durability, gradually
winning customer’s believes as the product is meeting all the needs and wants and it
is also good related to its value in the market. While manufacturing this item
company is using superior materials which make the commodity more reliable (Lu
and et. al., 2015).
 Speed: It is important from customer’s point of view as they are more specific for
their product about how much time it will take in order to fulfill its demand. Thus
company should make sure that they manufacture goods in particular time frame so
that extra cost is reduced. They must also make sure about the barriers which are
hampering the whole process of producing commodities it will assist them in
manufacturing a good number of items in specific time limits so as to attain the set
targets and goals.
 Dependability: It is essential that goods which are produced are dependable and it is
relatively better than other products manufacture by various firms. Dependability
decides the reputation and image of the company in market area it significantly
increases the value and shares of an organization. Hence, it is necessary that Lidl
focuses more on quality rather than quantity; this can have an impact on cash flow
and profitability.
 Flexibility: It is one of the important element which every company should keep in
their mind before introducing any commodity. This includes the capability of

company to adapt changes. This is significant in order to establish their product more
specifically and unique in nature. In general terms organization should be able to
fulfill all standardized services of their customers so that a healthy relation is
maintained amongst the firm and consumers.
 Cost: It is an important factor which changes as the product varies. The rates depend
upon the quality of goods produced. Hence, it is essential to maintain the cost in
order to gain maximum benefits from the commodity (Crawford, 2014).
Therefore, product W5 all purpose vacuum cleaner has a positive impact on the
company’s performance as the item is reasonable in its rates maximum number of people
preferring in buying this commodity. Materials which are used while manufacturing this product
is of superior quality, which provides a long life to the item. This can be used by all age group
people because of its operating system and easy controlling.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that operational manager of the company has
utilized all the possible strategies in order to make changes. This is aiding them in manufacturing
products according to customer needs and wants. A detailed step of product development has
been included which helped them in evaluating the better process before introducing any fresh
product. All these steps have been taken into consideration while producing the goods. This has
provided with maximum benefits to the organist ion and gradually its sales and productivity has
risen as compared to earlier times.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Crawford, J. K., 2014. Project management maturity model. CRC Press
Badiru, A. B. and Osisanya, S. O., 2016. Project management for the oil and gas industry: a
world system approach. CRC Press.
Martens, M. L. and Carvalho, M. M., 2016. The challenge of introducing sustainability into
project management function: multiple-case studies. Journal of Cleaner Production. 117.
pp.29-40.
Kerzner, H. and Saladis, F. P., 2017. Project management workbook and PMP/CAPM exam
study guide. John Wiley & Son.
Andersen, E. S., 2016. Do project managers have different perspectives on project management?.
International Journal of Project Management. 34(1). pp.58-65.
Cserhati, G. and Szabo, L., 2014. The relationship between success criteria and success factors in
organisational event projects. International Journal of Project Management. 32(4).
pp.613-624.
Rolstadås, A., and et. al., 2014. Understanding project success through analysis of project
management aproach. International journal of managing projects in business. 7(4).
pp.638-660.
Kerzner, H., 2015. Project management 2.0: leveraging tools, distributed collaboration, and
metrics for project success. John Wiley & Sons.
Lievre, P. and Tang, J., 2015. SECI and inter-organizational and intercultural knowledge
transfer: a case-study of controversies around a project of co-operation between France
and China in the health sector. Journal of Knowledge Management. 19(5). pp.1069-1086.
vom Brocke, J. and Lippe, S., 2015. Managing collaborative research projects: A synthesis of
project management literature and directives for future research. International Journal of
Project Management. 33(5). pp.1022-1039.
Görög, M., 2016. A broader approach to organisational project management maturity
assessment. International Journal of Project Management. 34(8). pp.1658-1669.
Lu, Y., and et. al., 2015. Measurement model of project complexity for large-scale projects from
task and organization perspective. International Journal of Project Management. 33(3).
pp.610-622.
Online
8 Steps of product development. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.feedough.com/new-product-development-npd/>.