Abstract

MENDES, Glauco Henrique de Sousa  and  TOLEDO, José Carlos de. Exploring new product development practices in small and medium enterprises in the medical device industry. Gest. Prod. [online]. 2012, vol.19, n.1, pp. 103-117. ISSN 0104-530X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-530X2012000100008.

Critical success factors in new product development (NPD) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the medical device industry are identified and analyzed. A conceptual model to explain the relationship between management practices and NPD performance was developed and tested. The model considers eight factors: product advantage, marketing skills, sources of technology, company skills, project leader skills, cross-functional integration, project teams' organization, and NPD proficiency. A survey was carried out in 30 companies in this industry collecting data from 49 new product projects. The results highlight the importance for this industry to emphasize activities related to marketing skills, cross-functional integration, and NPD proficiency since these factors have a positive influence on the new product success. Theoretical and managerial implications of the article are presented.

Keywords : New product development management; Success factors; Small and medium enterprises; Brazilian medical device industry.