Paul O’Connor is an expert in the field of New Product Development. For over twenty-five years he has worked with executives and facilitated teams of senior managers. In 1984, Paul founded The Adept Group Limited, Inc.
Capitalizing on his skills in business strategy, marketing research, technology assessment, organizational process and team facilitation, Mr. O’Connor influences and guides the product development and innovation efforts of clients in both consumer and industrial markets, around the globe. Read More
I have an important and timely message for product and innovation managers. It’s specifically for those who work in big companies. And I base the message on a fact I’ve seen validated repeatedly over my career. Here’s the fact: Growing markets forgive mistakes and declining markets revive and amplify mistakes. And here’s the message: Many […]
Product Line Velocity is speed in a direction toward a line’s objectives. Speed, by itself, does not have a direction. In single product thinking, speed is the time it takes to carry out a task. The time to develop a product is a measure of speed. Velocity in product line systems thinking is the change […]
In the early part of the negotiations (with HP), Xerox CEO John Visentin expressed concerns that his company was out of organic growth opportunities and must either expand through an acquisition or be acquired itself. Icahn Proposed Buying HP If It Didn’t Pursue Xerox Merger Bloomberg News, February 27, 2020 By Ed Hammond and Scott […]
How the Decision-Flow Impacts Product Development and Product Line Performance This list relates the blog Decision Flows and Product Line Strategies. Here are ten issues that arise from a poor or disjointed decision flow. Please read and comment on each. Or please add to the list. Projects are swirling in development because too much risk (technology or market) […]
This blog supports the blog: Innovation 4.0 and Product Line Pivots The core of a product line strategy has three critical parts. When coupled and as a whole, these parts are called the Strategy-Essence. Attribute-Positioning Platform-Leverage Chain-Link (Organizational) Alignment and Synergy Each part adds to a product line strategy’s effectiveness. But great strategies also gain […]
Germans declare it Industrie 4.0. The Yanks tag it as The Connected Enterprise. And the Brits give it the 4th Industrial Revolution moniker. Any way you slice it, it’s the future. The product development community, especially those in large organizations, don’t seem as caught up in a name. I’ve seen Innovation 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 […]
What’s the difference between a Multi-generational Product Plan and Product Line Strategies and Roadmaps? The answer deserves a short discussion. Stick with me as I explain. The topic offers much insight into great development practices. Multi-Generational Product Planning (MGPP) and Product Line Strategizing and Roadmapping (PLSR) are different. But they’re also closely related. To understand, […]
When I began my career in product development, I didn’t understand how easy it is to screw up a product line. I had the opposite view. I thought managers of established product lines had an easy job. They didn’t have to worry about developing and launching new stuff. They needed only to manage pricing, promotion, and […]
There’s a major difference between product and product line thinking. And not knowing how to manage each differently is costing companies a lot of money. Do you know the difference between a product and a product line? I’m sure you do, but do you recognize that how you address the difference can make or break […]
“Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything.” — Wyatt Earp The market for getting the JTBD job done is like the Wild West. There are gunslingers and sheriffs, pioneers and hustlers. This isn’t about good guys and bad guys. Everyone want’s what’s best for JTBD and for themselves. But I use the Wild West metaphor […]
