Reducing cycle time by optimizing your product portfolio

With companies continually striving to reduce cycle time, on the heels of significant gains, many are finding that further substantial improvement is difficult to achieve, especially on new (or breakthrough) products. This paper discusses factors influencing cycle time and means by which obstacles may be overcome to gain further advantages. Included are ways to gain competitive advantage by coupling product development and product portfolio strategy. The result is a new look at the trade off between the product portfolio and time to market. A benchmark study is presented that demonstrates how product mix can influence cycle time. Once managers understand how their portfolios influence time to market, they have two possible approaches to explore. The first is a set of tools to analyze the portfolio as it relates to risk and development capacity. The second is a set of techniques especially suited for improving the cycle time of new products. Both approaches are recommended for a comprehensive solution to greater competitiveness