Title: Analysing the dependencies between the Innovation Attributes in NPD using Design Structure Matrix – the I-DSM tool

Authors: Nikolaos Bilalis, Emmanuel Maravelakis

Addresses: Department of Production Engineering and Management, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece. ' Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Technological Educational Institute of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece

Abstract: The need of innovation assessment is critical in evaluating product performance in the market. Especially during the early design phase, when multiple alternatives are evaluated, the quality of the decisions is strongly connected with the assessment of the product, process and organisational innovation dimensions. The developed methodology addresses these three dimensions using 30 innovation attributes, in order to obtain a product innovation profile. Next, the methodology utilises a Design Structure Matrix, for mapping the dependencies between the Innovation Attributes and introduces an Innovation Improvement Impact Value for each attribute. An optimal improvement strategy, based on the Innovation Improvement Impact values is proposed. The proposed tool (I-DSM, Innovation – Design Structure Matrix) aims at improving the innovative profile of a company by minimising the product development cycle and by improving the performance of the product development process.

Keywords: innovation measurement; benchmarking; innovation profile; innovation attributes; design structure matrix; I-DSM; product design; NPD; new product development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2006.009902

International Journal of Product Development, 2006 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.432 - 446

Published online: 01 Jun 2006 *

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