Because product and service development is fundamental to most start-ups and established firms anywhere in the world, the demand for MBA students with course work in this field has generally been very high. We will focus on tools, techniques and concepts necessary in managing and improving development processes in product and service-based businesses. A very important part of the course is a project that gives students hands-on development experience before starting their careers. The course will be graded on class participation and a final project report. The course focuses on conceiving, designing, and developing new products and services.
Product development is an inherently cross-functional activity.
The issues in the course therefore cut across functional boundaries, examining problems in areas ranging from design to marketing, and from manufacturing to strategy. Our concern is with the managerial skills and capabilities needed in effective practice. The course is founded on the premise that effective learning can be action-based. The centerpiece of the course is a real project in which student teams conceptualize and design a new product or service. Teams work on actual development problems with real firms and interact with company sponsors several times during the course.