Issues in incorporating new technologies into the new produce prototyping process

The issues which face an organization when new technologies are incorporated into the product-development process, and specifically in the prototyping phase of product development, are considered. Five industrial case studies are reviewed and the insights gained concerning prototyping processes, prototyping technologies, and managerial techniques used to optimize the processes are discussed generally. These cases are examined to provide a detailed understanding of the process of prototyping as well as to observe bottlenecks in the process and methods to minimize the impact of these bottlenecks. The issues which result from these cases are summarized. These issues include the following: finding the appropriate new technologies; understanding these technologies and their limitations; understanding the current process of product development; knowledge of the barriers which prevent process improvement; prioritization of these barriers; the problems associated with altering standard operating procedures; linking the process with the organizational strategy; understanding that the incorporation of new technologies requires careful management; addressing implementation issues; and measuring the benefits of incorporating new technologies