They make it part of their business plan and use integrated development process thinking. When companies manage the product development process in a concurrent manner rather than sequentially, things are done differently. Each new product effort is led by a small cross-functional team which makes important decisions together from the start of the project and employs joint problem solving at each stage of development. These small core teams of 5-12 members use integration techniques that facilitate listening to the customer and hearing each other. And, they are constantly learning how to make the development process faster and better.
Most companies discover it requires a much bigger culture change effort than anticipated.
The assessment can then be followed by a well thought out change strategy and implementation plan. Since this is a strategic and large scale change effort, it must be visibly supported and reviewed by the President or General Manager of the company. However, the hands-on champion may be the VP of Development, Marketing or Operations. Under the champion's guidance, specific change projects need to be assigned to managers throughout the organization. Accountability for these projects needs to be built into job objectives, measurements and rewards.