Supply Chain Processes in New Product Development

As globalization is one of the biggest characters in the development of supply chain, with a growing number of foreign companies as well as local companies trying to develop further strategies for sustained viability, New product development is now a growing area in Chinese manufacturing. From Intel in Dalian to Ford in Nanjing, the R&D investment by foreign firms in the past couple of years has been significant. At the same time, Chinese companies are also building their own capabilities by seeking out partners with specialized knowledge to help develop operational processes even further.

With all the growth in research and new product development, it is interesting to consider how supply chain processes can be utilized to increase operational effectiveness.

But how many of these systems are really considered? When any new facility or process is established, a company is given an opportunity to create a supply chain process that facilitates resource and cost saving systems. This can importantly impact the actual supply chain structure as well as the internal process for new product development. Therefore, in order to look at supply chain operations for new product development, four specific areas 1. Early Involvement of Contributors, 2. Creating a Clear Design, 3. Multiple Stages of Quality Testing, and 4. Understanding the Process of Each Contributor. are being discussed. (article)