New Product Development and Innovation
This course explores innovation from a business management perspective. The purpose of innovation is to create new business. It requires change in the way we think, or the way we act. In the past, notable innovations included the steam engine and the light bulb. Today, consider the influence of mobile phones, or eBay, or Intel chip technologies, or products such as the iPod on consumers ’ lives. This course explores how new knowledge is generated and accelerated, and how businesses – their architecture, operating functions, and their people achieve successful commercial exploitation of these products and services.
Dr. Elaine
Wallace
Room 302
Cairnes School
2603 elaine.wallace@nuigalway.ie
Lectures Tuesday 11-1pm CA 001 Cairnes Building
Upon completion of this course, students will have achieved the following:
Knowledge based outcomes:

A comprehensive understanding of the importance of innovation.

An understanding of innovation as a management process.

An insight into the influences on innovation.

An understanding of the role of technology in innovation.

An exploration of the organisational knowledge base and the learning organisation.

An understanding of the concept of New Product Development and Service
Innovation.

An insight into NPD theories and strategies, and the research required to support NPD.

A comprehensive understanding of the role and process of packaging development in NPD.
Skills based outcomes:

An ability to use online Wiki technologies to present data and work in groups through online media and presentations.

An insight into literature searches and reviews, and a full understanding of accessing material through the library databases.

An ability to synthesise material from the core text, select the key points, and explain the material to others.

An ability to present recommendations, which are feasible and grounded in theory.

Experience of working to specific deadlines.

Greater experience in presentation skills, both through the use of audiovisual media and oral presentation.
 An ability to ‘pitch’ ideas to a critical panel.
This course comprises one two-hour lecture across 12 weeks.
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New Product Development and Innovation
MSc in Marketing
The grade will be calculated as follows:

40% Group Project

10% Class participation

50% Written Exam
40% GROUP PROJECT:
This assignment challenges you to develop a new product.
The product can be:

A completely new innovation,

A substantially revised format of an existing product, or

A relaunch of a product which has been discontinued and which you would like to ‘resurrect’.
Using Wiki technology and working in groups of 4, teams will develop their product, which will be assessed by a panel of experts at the end of term.
The marks allocated for the assignment are as follows:

Total Marks 40%
Wiki 30%

Presentation 10%
Wiki (30%):
Each team will be provided with a wiki template which will be visible to the team and the course lecturer only.
Working in groups of 4, teams will work on three wiki topics, each of which will be worth 10% of total marks. Topics will be provided in class.
For each topic, the Wiki assignment will follow the same format:
Wiki Heading
Discussion
Use the topic name (provided in class) as the page title.
1,000 words: relating the product to the relevant theory from your text, and to the broader academic literature.
Recommendations 200 words: applying the theory to 3 recommendations for the product, in relation to the topic.
Each Wiki assignment should be presented as a separate Wiki page.
As there are three topics, you will have three pages on completion of the Wiki.
The three pages should be prefaced by a general page which introduces your group, your product (don’t forget to give your product a name!), and presents
FIVE reasons why you have chosen to launch the product.
Each topic will carry 10 marks. Marks will be awarded for:
1. The use of theory to underlie analysis, and a demonstration that theory is understood. Any material must be cited using guidelines allocated in class.
2. The depth of evaluation of theory in relation to your product.
3. The quality and feasibility of recommendations made.
A final mark for all topics & the presentation will be provided on Blackboard at the end of term.
Presentation (10%):
Each group will have 10 minutes to present their product launch to a panel of experts.
The presentations MUST comprise the following three slides ONLY:
1. An introduction to the group and to the product.
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New Product Development and Innovation
2. A rationale for its launch, outlining its USPs, including any evidence from relevant market testing or consumer research.
3. Suggested packaging and product presentation (mock samples can be used for illustration).
All members of each group will be required to participate in the presentation, to a panel of experts.
Presentations will be timed, and presentations will be recorded.
Business attire is required for all presenters.
A questions and answers session will follow each presentation.
Presentations will also be awarded marks, based on two criteria:
Style (20%): The clarity and professionalism of the slides and the presenters.
Substance (80%): The quality of information presented and the quality of the answers during the Q&A session.
Wiki Deadline:
Wikis must be completed by 20 th November at 5pm . After this time, Wikis will be closed and you will not have access to your Wiki.
Presentation Deadline:
Presentations will take place on 24 th November.
A running order for presentations will be provided in class.
Candidates are required to email their presentations to Elaine Wallace by 5pm on 23rd November .
Please use PowerPoint for presentations, and title your email “NPD
Presentation _ Product Name”
Additional material such as packaging design or samples should be included by the group on the day of the presentation.
10% CLASS PARTICIPATION
Class participation marks will be allocated on an individual basis, according to the student’s knowledge of the topic, and involvement in class discussion.
50% WRITTEN EXAMINATION
All candidates are required to complete a written examination. The exam will be two hours in duration and candidates will be required to answer three questions.
All questions will carry equal marks. Candidates must pass the written examination to be awarded marks for assignments/class participation.
Note: A minimum of 35% is required in the final written examination before marks for continuous assessment can be included in the determination of the overall mark for the subject.
Credit weighting:
Lecture hours:
5 ECT
24
Assignment work and independent study: 99
Examination: 2
Total Student Effort: 125 Hours
Required Reading:
Core Text: Trott, Paul (2008) Innovation Management and New Product
Development . London: FT Prentice Hall (4 th Edition).
Due to the timely nature of innovation, it is preferable that students would purchase this book new from the University bookshop.
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New Product Development and Innovation
Students are expected to read assigned course material in advance of class.
Each week, a group of 3 will be required to make a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation addressing the questions assigned in the chapter case study.
Ch 1 Innovation Management: An Introduction
September 8
Ch 2 Economics and Market Adoption
Ch 3 Managing Innovation within Firms
September 15
Case: Gore-Tex
Ch 6 Managing Organisational Knowledge
September 22
Case: The Cork Industry
Ch 7 Strategic Alliances and Networks
September 29
Case: The Hollywood Film Industry
Ch 8 Management of Research and Development
October 6
Case: Pfizer’s Viagra
Ch 11 Product and Brand Strategy
October 13
Case: Wheelchair Design
Ch 12 New Product Development
October 20
Case: Launching Innocent Smoothies
Ch 13 Packaging and Product Development
October 27
Case: Halfords Motor Oil
Ch 14 New Service Innovation
November 3
Case: Developing new services at eBay
Ch 15 Market Research and its influence on NPD
November 10
November 17
November 24
Case: Dyson, Hoover
Ch 16 Managing the NPD Process & Course Review
Case: 3M
Group Presentations
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New Product Development and Innovation
A course web is available at http://blackboard.nuigalway.ie
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