Key issues in managing the product development process in very small manufacturing companies

This paper describes four case studies of product development within very small manufacturing companies in the UK. The case studies were developed as part of a project aim, inter alia, was to determine those issues which bore most heavily upon the success of the development process. The case studies focused on companies who were employing specific design expertise for the first time. Each of the case studies highlighted a variety of issues which need to be considered by managers involved in or responsible for the product development process