The new product development process in the mechanical industry: evidences from some Italian case studies

New product development (NPD) refers to the process of bringing a new product or service to market and involves several steps. NPD involves cooperating with organizations within and outside the primary manufacturing company, consequently, interaction between NPD and supply chain management (SCM) is understood to be a crucial success factor. The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between NPD and SCM in the specific context of the Italian mechanical industry. Based on analysis of the extant literature on NPD and SCM, an NPD framework was first developed; then, a case study-based research was carried out, with the purpose of investigating whether the companies analyzed adopt the NPD framework proposed, or at identifying different phases to be included in the framework, as well as phases to be deleted. Findings from this study provide managers with a preliminary picture of the NPD framework that the mechanical companies adopt, as well as with some useful guidelines for companies wishing to perform better in terms of NPD.