Mastering the New Product Game

by Robert G. Cooper

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0039219992
• ISBN13: 9780039219994
• Release Date: November 1986
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Excellent for all levels!

This is an excellent book! It's clearly presented, with each point backed by serious research studies. The logic is flawless and the book informs in a friendly, easy-to-digest manner. I highly recommend this book for anyone involved in any way shape or form of the product launch/marketing process.

Excellent Book backed by Invaluable Research

The book introduces the Stage-Gate process by its author. The Stage-Gate is a process for disciplined innovation used to move ideas to commercial products. The process basically divides the new product process into five main stages: Scoping, Building Business Case, Development, Testing and Validation, and Launch. Before each Stage there is a Gate that opens the door for more investment and commitment. The process seems common sense at first but the research and studies behind it flesh it out with invaluable tips and checklists that build your confidence to adopt them in your own domain. The book is full of diagrams, tables and charts that help you understand important studies and concepts. On the downside, I found little details on the Gates, the focus is primarily on the Stages. I also think the book is little bit lengthy for the amount of wisdom embedded, I found many of the concepts repeated throughout, some might consider this a plus as it helps emphasizing the concepts. I also think that some of the the studies should have been moved to an appendix to make the reading flow smoother. . Finally, the book could have been structured differently; for example, chapter 12 (Product Innovation and Technology Strategy) and chapter 8 (Portfolio Management) could have been (at least partially) moved earlier in the book. Overall, I think the book is a great value, I found it useful as my first product management reading, it is easy to read and follow.The book is a recommended reading by the Product Management Association.

Great Process for New Product Development

Dr. Cooper has provided an excellent and easy to understand process for guiding organizations from ideation to launch of successful new products. Although many of the steps are intuitive, the framework suggests that if the checklist for each of the five gates is followed, an organization can fill that it has done its homework and can proceed confidently in making go-no go decisions. I am using this text in my graduates school courses at Mercy College and in lectures for student seminars organized by the Direct Marketing Association. A great read for everyone in new product development roles.

The Father of the Stage-Gate Approach Speaks

Bob Cooper, the author of this book, is the originator of the stage-gate approach to new product development, and is recognized as such by the federal government who registered this phrase under his company. He initially described the approach in a couple of excellent articles written in the late 1970s but this book, first written in the late 1980s and updated twice since, is really the best source for the stage-gate process. Although his writing can be dry and his tone preachy, you can't argue with the base information and the conclusions. He studied 3000 new products in hundreds of companies to identify what separates the winners from the losers in new products, and stage-gates are one of the keys, along with cross-functional teams and a clear understanding of the customer's needs. Today over 96% of companies in a recent survey use stage-gates, and the best at bringing new products to market, the organizations that are the most profitable and growing the fastest, do it well. This book lays out how to do it well. If you want to install a stage-gate process, and you need to, if your company doesn't have one, this is your best source.

Its All Here!

Bob Cooper provides a clear roadmap for new product success. Figuring out the smartest, most consistent way to create winning products can be the key to long term success. Yet setting up systems and process to help employees achieve these results without burdening them with unecessary bureaucracy is a challenging task. Using a solid research base and the experiences of dozens of corporations, Bob Cooper lays out a clear yet flexible blueprint for managing new product development. Its all here for those who are interested. I have read many books on this subject but this is the one I use and refer too all the time. An excellent resource.