Title: Organising product conceptualisation from the 'four knowledge bases' perspective: how to reduce development time

Authors: Seppo Hanninen

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Helsinki University of Technology, 02015 TKK, Finland

Abstract: Shortened product life cycle is causing pressure in the high-technology industry; it is, therefore, important to understand how product development can be shortened. The objective of the present study is to deepen the understanding of how high-technology industries should shorten their product conceptualisation. Product conceptualisation can be viewed as knowledge creation in which the basic elements are translator, knowledge broker, coaching member, and boundary objects. The four practical ways to categorise product conceptualisation are: external product conceptualisation, the single product concept designer, functional product conceptualisation and the knowledge-brokering product conceptualisation team. Each of these has its advantages and limitations.

Keywords: product conceptualisation; innovation; high technology knowledge brokering; technology intelligence; high tech industries; product development; development time reduction; knowledge creation; product design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTIP.2007.015773

International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning, 2007 Vol.3 No.3, pp.261 - 270

Published online: 14 Nov 2007 *

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