Technology based companies (TBCs) are associated with technological innovation, mainly of products, what makes product development a critical process for them. This process can be evaluated using the product developed considering its success or failure. Furthermore, the degree of such success depends on managerial factors applied during the project development. The objective of this article is to identify and analyze critical success factors in the project management of new products development in small and medium size TBCs. The developed projects analyzed were carried out by medical and hospital equipment companies (MHE) or by process control automation (PCA) sectors, both located in the State of São Paulo. The research method was based on a mapping survey applying a structured questionnaire to some companies. The data were collected from 62 companies, namely 30 in the MHE sector and 32 in the PCA sector, which have been carrying out those projects already. The results show that new products project management in TBCs should involve actions adding more value to the pre-development activities such as the assessment of the new product market potential, effective understanding of the market needs and synergy between the new product/project, and other company's products/projects. Besides, the results also increase the importance of improving managerial skills and project managers (or leaders) interpersonal relationship. Generally, during the product development, these managers (or leaders) should overcome the company's managerial and organizational deficiencies.
Product development management; Technology based companies; Project management; Success critical factors
