Title: Strategic management of new products development at technological conglomerate network using expert support systems

Authors: Hsing Hung Chen, Amy H.I. Lee, Yunhuan Tong

Addresses: College of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Xu Hui District, Dong An Road, Lane 50, No. 3, Room 2910, Shang Hai 200032, China. ' Department of Industrial Engineering and System Management, Chung Hua University, No. 707, Sec. 2, WuFu Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan. ' Department of Technology Economics Management, College of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Abstract: While Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a popular Multi Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method, is able to deal with the strategic New Products Development (NPD) selection by synthesising subjective judgement, the judgement of experts is usually obscure. To deal with the vagueness in responses, an original AHP incorporated with sensitivity analysis instead of popular fuzzy AHP model is proposed and a firm can make a decisive evaluation by applying the new model more easily. In addition, the research finds that technological development keeps the network on leading technologies and diversified/differentiated development satisfies every customer|s individual needs under industrialised Mass Customisation (MC) manufacturing network.

Keywords: new product development; NPD; technological conglomerate networks; TCN; decision making; analytical hierarchy process; AHP; strategic management; sensitivity analysis; mass customisation; manufacturing networks; expert support systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMDM.2008.016039

International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 2008 Vol.9 No.1, pp.16 - 30

Published online: 03 Dec 2007 *

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