The ability of a company to succeed in the market strongly depends on its innovation power. Given shortened product life cycles and intensified competition, companies are under pressure to develop and market innovations more quickly in order to secure competitive advantages and ensure their future. Although the fundamental principles of the product development process have hardly changed, specific approaches such as Cooper's Stage-Gate process have been continuously adapted. Digital transformation offers significant opportunities to further optimize this process and exploit the potential of technological advancements, thereby enhancing a company's competitiveness. In the first section of the analysis, the product life cycle is examined from which the product development process is derived. A theoretical treatment of this process and a presentation of the characteristics of product development provide a solid overview of the topic. Cooper's Stage-Gate process is described in detail as a systematic and structured approach to developing new products from the concept phase to market launch. This process is divided into several phases that precisely define the requirements. In addition, success factors such as time, market, and cost are identified and possibilities for their optimization through further developments in the product development process are discussed. The second section deals with digital transformation in the industrial environment. The integration of new technologies across all company areas, from production to procurement to the supply chain, is described. Digital transformation opens up opportunities to increase the competitiveness of companies but also brings challenges such as investment costs and the selection of appropriate tools and technologies that significantly influence the strategic orientation of the company. The third chapter focuses on specific digital tools used in product development. Challenges and practical application cases from various industrial companies are presented to gain a practical overview. The goal is to demonstrate the effects of these digital tools on the previously mentioned success factors and to show how they can significantly improve the efficiency of product development. This underscores the necessity for companies to focus on this issue in light of the exponentially increasing technological possibilities to remain competitive.
Einfluss der digitalen Transformation auf den Produktentstehungsprozess
Fischer, R. (Author). 2024
Student thesis: Master's Thesis