Abstract The importance of product development in companies has increased, as competition in many industries has turned global and product life cycles have become shorter. Despite the rich literature and the significance of product development in businesses, many organisations still struggle to develop products that meet market and customer needs. Furthermore, product development for a large number of international customers involves various stakeholders with conflicting needs. Thus, product development is increasingly complex to manage. This doctoral dissertation aims to improve the outcome of product development by clarifying the factors that initiate product development in companies, the relations of different external and internal stakeholders to these drivers, and how the needs of key stakeholders are obtained. The study focuses on the early product development phases of new product development (NPD) intensive companies that are based in Finland, but have major international operations and large customer bases. The research was carried out by collecting and analysing data from companies representing product development practices in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets. The experiences of managers across different industries are utilised. This dissertation adopts a qualitative research approach, and surveys and interviews are utilised as the main data collection methods. This dissertation shows that many significant drivers for product development exist in companies. In addition, these drivers differ significantly between projects, companies, and even individuals. Based on the results, companies should clarify their product development drivers and align them among the relevant stakeholders to enhance the decision-making and focus of product development efforts. The study also reveals the relations between different external and internal stakeholders and the product development drivers, and the key stakeholders for the individual drivers. The results indicate that companies should identify the most important stakeholders based on the project drivers and allocate managerial attention appropriately. As expected, the research findings support previous studies by identifying customers as the most important external stakeholders in product development. On the other hand, the significance of product management among internal stakeholders is highlighted in the results. This dissertation indicates that companies should enable product management to lead collaboration with stakeholders close to customers in product development projects. The role of product management involves leading customer definition, representation, and customer needs identification for R&D. However, product management must also collaborate with many customer-related stakeholders in product development efforts. The main implication of this dissertation is a new managerial framework that, if successfully implemented, can significantly enhance product development outcomes by providing appropriate focus on customers and reducing unnecessary complexities through the clarification of the project drivers, the key stakeholders, and customer needs. / Tiivistelmä Tuotekehityksen merkitys yrityksille on kasvanut globaalin kilpailun ja tuote-elinkaarien lyhentymisten myötä. Lukuisista tutkimuksista ja tuotekehitystoiminnan tärkeydestä liiketoiminnalle huolimatta useilla organisaatioilla on edelleen haasteita kehittää markkinoiden ja asiakkaiden tarpeita vastaavia tuotteita. Lisäksi tuotekehityksessä isolle, kansainväliselle, asiakaskunnalle on mukana useita erilaisia sidosryhmiä, joiden tarpeet ovat ristiriidassa keskenään. Tämän takia tuotekehityksen johtamisesta on tullut entistä monimutkaisempaa. Tämä väitöskirja pyrkii parantamaan tuotekehityksen tulosta selventämällä tekijät, jotka ovat syynä tuotekehityksen aloittamiseen yrityksissä, erilaisten ulkoisten ja sisäisten sidosryhmien suhteet näihin tuotekehitysajureihin sekä miten tärkeimpien sidosryhmien tarpeet selvitetään. Tutkimus keskittyy tuotekehityksen alkuvaiheisiin Suomessa toimivissa yrityksissä, joilla on voimakas panostus tuotekehitykseen ja lisäksi merkittävää kansainvälistä toimintaa sekä suuri määrä asiakkaita. Tutkimus tehtiin keräämällä ja analysoimalla tietoa yritysten tuotekehityskäytännöistä sekä tuotantohyödykemarkkinoilla että kuluttajamarkkinoilla. Tietoa kerättiin myös eri teollisuudenaloilta. Tämä väitöskirja perustuu laadulliseen tutkimukseen ja tutkimusaineiston keräämisessä on hyödynnetty kyselytutkimuksia sekä haastatteluita. Tämä väitöskirja osoittaa, että yritysten tuotekehitykseen löytyy useita merkittäviä ajureita. Tämän lisäksi nämä ajurit eroavat merkittävästi projektien, yritysten ja jopa yksittäisten henkilöiden välillä. Tulosten perusteella yritysten pitäisi selvittää, mitkä ajurit ovat niiden liiketoiminnan kannalta olennaisimpia ja tarkentaa niitä tuotekehityksen päätöksenteon ja painopisteen parantamiseksi. Tutkimus paljastaa myös ulkoisten ja sisäisten sidosryhmien suhteet tuotekehitysajureihin sekä tärkeimmät sidosryhmät yksittäisille ajureille. Tulokset osoittavat, että yritysten pitäisi tunnistaa tärkeimmät sidosryhmät projektien ajureiden perusteella ja ottaa ajurit huomioon sidosryhmäjohtamisessa. Tutkimuksen löydökset tukevat aikaisempia tutkimuksia osoittaen asiakkaiden olevan tärkein ulkoinen sidosryhmä tuotekehityksessä, kun taas sisäisistä sidosryhmistä nousee esille tuotehallinta. Tämä väitöskirja osoittaa, että yritysten tuotekehitysprojekteissa tuotehallinnan tulisi johtaa asiakkaita lähellä oleviin sidosryhmiin liittyvää sidosryhmäyhteistyötä. Tuotehallinnan tehtäviin kuuluu asiakkaan määrittely, edustus ja asiakastarpeiden tunnistaminen. Tuotehallinnan pitää myös tehdä yhteistyötä useiden asiakkaisiin liittyvien sidosryhmien kanssa tuotekehityksen aikana. Tämä väitöskirja tarjoaa uuden johtamisen viitekehityksen, joka oikein toteutettuna voi parantaa merkittävästi tuotekehityksen lopputulosta. Projektin ajurien, tärkeimpien sidosryhmien ja asiakastarpeiden selventäminen varmistaa oikeanlaisen keskittymisen asiakkaisiin ja vähentää tarpeettomia monimutkaisuuksia tuotekehityksessä.

研發計畫的評估是一個複雜且重要的問題，特別是在新興的生技醫藥產業，生技醫藥產業雖然爆發力強，卻具有研發時程長、風險大的特性，再加上投資金額龐大，回收期長，如何在有限的資源及高度的不確定性下，進行正確的投資評估變成了關乎未來公司存亡的關鍵。 一般而言，質化的評估方式，容易受決策者主觀意見所影響，造成決策品質的不確定性。而量化的評估方式，並不易讓企業管理者瞭解與使用，加上模式的限制可能只適用於某些特定情形，造成決策的真實情境無法完全由數學模式中表達出來，而降低了決策的參考性。 以藥物開發為例，針對生醫產業的特性，從評估參與人員、質化評估、量化評估、評估要求、評估標準、評估程序等不同的構面去探討與分析可能合適的研發評估模式。本論文進一步以個案訪談的方式，收集實際運作的經驗與意見，瞭解目前業界目前實務上使用的評估方式，並與先前的生醫產業評估模式對照比較，瞭解理論與實務上的落差，探討其關鍵要素，以整體的效益評估觀點，對公司決策者或研發主管提出建議。 / The evaluation for R&D project is usually regarded as an important and complicated issue for enterprises, especially in the biomedical industry. Such a concern may be highly applied to the biomedical industry, which is involved with lengthy R&D process, high level of risk, and large cost. This project, therefore, will attempt to study the appropriate approaches to determine whether a proposed R&D project is worthwhile to be launched for a biomedical enterprise with limited resources. In general, qualitative research may be involved with the evaluator’s personal experience, negatively influencing the evaluation results. On the other hand, not each of the selected models employed by quantitative research is fully compatible to evaluation process. This study suggests that either qualitative or quantitative research may not be the most appropriate tool to conduct R&D project evaluation. This study aims to use drug development as a study target and further to discuss the most appropriate evaluation approach from the five aspects, including reviewer’s professional, evaluation items of qualitative research, evaluation items of quantitative research, requirement for evaluation process, and criteria for project approval. This study also assumes that a final review process is required to be proceeded in addition to taking the above five aspects into account. This study begins with related references and collecting the opinions provided by the professionals working in the biomedical industry about real cases. Through the case study method, the study may better understand the difference between the theoretical models and real practices and further to identify the key successful factors for the evaluation model. Finally the study suggests a comprehensive evaluation model to decision makers or research managers.

Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-04T12:36:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009 / A pesquisa e o desenvolvimento tecnológico com vistas à inovação contribuíram significativamente para os progressos observados ao longo da últimametade do século XX, influenciando a formação de recursos humanos qualificados e a gestão das instituições de Ciência & Tecnologia. Entretanto, pesquisa, desenvolvimento e inovação são atividades intrinsecamente ligadas. Assim, as políticas de fomento à inovação implicam em apoio à pesquisa técnico-científica e conseqüentemente na manutenção da capacidade técnico-científica das instituições e exige, também, a análise e o constante aperfeiçoamento da gestão da pesquisa e dos programas de fomento à Pesquisa & Desenvolvimento das instituições públicas de pesquisa. Neste sentido, este trabalho se ocupou da análise qualitativa de um programa de apoio às atividades de P&D realizadas pela maior instituição de pesquisa em saúde do país a Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. O objetivo foi a proposição de um modelo de avaliação de bolsas de pesquisa adequado à complexidade organizacional da FIOCRUZ, que sem abrir mão do mérito científico, da produtividade e da eficiência como componentes da avaliação, seja capaz de identificar critérios e indicadores que levem em conta as articulações dos projetos de pesquisa com os objetivos estratégicos da instituição, com as políticas governamentais de estímulo à inovação eo impacto social de suas atividades. Espera-se com o resultado desta proposta contribuir para a efetividade do modelo de gestão de programas de bolsa de P&D na instituição. / The research and technological development with a view to innovation significantly contributed to the progress observed throughout the last half of the twentieth century, influencing the formation of qualified human resources and the management of Science & Technology institutions. However, research, development and innovation are intrinsically linked activities. So, the innovation promotion policies implicate in support to technical -scientific research and consequently in maintenance of technical-scientific capacity of the institutions and also require analysis and a constant improvement of the research management and of Research & Development fomentation programs of research public institutions. In this sense, this work was in charge of the qualitative analysis of a support program to Research & Development activities accomplished by the major health research institution in the country – Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. The aim was the proposition of a research scholarships evaluation model suitable to the organizational complexity of FIOCRUZ , that considering the scientific merit, productivity and efficiency as evaluation components, be capable of identify criteria and indicators which take into account the research projects articulations with the strategic aims of the institution, with governmental policies of incitement to innovation and social impact of its activities. Our hope with the result of this proposal is to contribute to the effectiveness of the Research & Development scholarship programs management model in the institution.