Developing and Managing Products

For Apple, design is the starting point for every product and it is the most important aspect of a product. When it comes to the New-Product Development Process found in Exhibit 11.1, designers have close to no limitations for generating ideas in terms of costs or manufacturing needs. Also, as mentioned in my previous blog (Products Concepts) simplicity is the main focus of a product's design, in which designers make it their main priority for every product. An example of how an Apple product (iPhone 5c) is being developed once its has fulfilled the the first four required steps within the New-Product Development Process, is shown in the video to the left, starting at 1:35.

According to the book, new products are important to sustain growth, increase revenues, and profits, and replace obsolete items. An example of recent new apple products that did exactly that are the iPhone 5s and 5c. But in order for new products to accomplish all that, product managers have to strategically plan out the product based on what consumers want and what their willing to pay, in which innovation is they key. Innovation, which is major factor in each Apple product, is something that product managers must include when planning for a new product, without it Apple wouldn't be known as the company it is known today. An example of Innovation from a recent new Apple product is the iPhone 5s fingerprint scan, which may be a small innovation, but it is something that has never been seen or done in other phones. With consistent innovation, Apple has no problem sustaining growth, increasing revenues, and being superior.