Creating New Product Launch Teams and Partnerships
October 28, 2010 Leave a comment
New product launches require great commitment, coordination and communication among and across a diverse cross section of specialized skills. Developing teams and partnerships to navigate the complexities inherent in new product launches becomes increasingly important as demand for speed to market increases while resources to facilitate speed decrease.
There are several factors to consider when building collaborative relationships leading to high performing product launch teams. Some of these characteristics include:
• Trust: Working with people you can trust creates an open environment where honest dialog regarding product and market needs are expressed. Communicating in this manner is efficient and facilitates planning, problem solving and systems development.
• Experience: People experienced in new product launches understand the complexities inherent in new product launches, enabling an anticipatory perspective. Often, experience and learning from the last launch is incorporated into the next launch avoiding problematic constraints.
• Expertise: Specific knowledge in areas such as the product, markets, channels, engineering, manufacturing and organizational systems are great resources to have on your team. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of specific technical areas is helpful in over coming problems by leveraging strengths and engaging other options where needed.
• Flexibility: New product launches are dynamic and evolve as new information is learned, presented and incorporated into launch plans. People who understand the iterative process can remain open-minded and malleable with out being attached to any one plan or one way to approach a problem. Remaining agile in a new product launch helps keep the launch moving forward in a dynamic environment.
New product launches are demanding. Beginner, practitioner or expert, it is easy to feel engulfed by an impending new product launch. Having great teams and partnerships working in unison makes all the difference.
