Question 1

Which of the following is not a fundamental difference between manufacturing and service operations?

Accepted Answer

The other three options are all fundamental differences between manufacturing and service operations. Perceptions of performance and quality are more important in services because there are no tangible products to evaluate. Many services require high levels of contact because the delivery of the service often involves interactions with customers. The inability to store services creates capacity management problems because services cannot be produced in advance or stored for later use. However, customer loyalty is not a fundamental difference between manufacturing and service operations, as some manufacturing companies also enjoy high levels of customer loyalty.

Question 2

The service-process matrix provides a useful way of identifying the key management challenges of an operation.The matrix classifies operations in terms of two dimensions.Which of the following is not true?

Accepted Answer

Service shops typically have high customer interaction but not necessarily high labor intensity; they often have medium levels of both dimensions.

Question 3

What of the following elements would you not expect to find in a stage-gate process for new product development?

Accepted Answer

Typically, more radical or risky projects require more stages and gates to ensure thorough evaluation and risk management, not fewer. Incremental or lower risk projects might have fewer stages and gates due to their less complex nature and lower risk profile.

Question 4

Which of the following factors generally does not positively influence new product success?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following factors generally does...

Question 5

A simplified four-stage model is sufficient to discriminate between the various factors which must be managed at different stages of development.Which of the following is not normally a stage in this process?

Accepted Answer

Production planning may be a necessary step in the development process, but it is not typically considered one of the four main stages. The four main stages are concept generation, product development, project assessment and selection, and commercialization.

Question 6

A wide range of methods and techniques are available for identifying potential innovations in the external environment.Some of these are more suited to radical innovations than more routine product development.Which of the following techniques is least effective for identifying radical innovations:

Accepted Answer

Market and customer segmentation is generally used for identifying more incremental product improvements as it involves dividing a larger market into smaller groups with similar needs and characteristics. This helps companies tailor their products and marketing efforts to specific segments. However, it may not always lead to the identification of radical or breakthrough innovations. The other techniques listed (lead user involvement, focus groups, and scenario planning) are better suited to identifying radical innovations.

Question 7

Potential projects can be assessed by a number of criteria.Which of the following is not commonly used?

Accepted Answer

Strategic clusters are commonly used as a criterion for assessing potential projects, along with core competencies, risk of technical failure, and risk of market failure.

Question 8

Concept development can be supported by a number of tools and methods.Which of the following is not normally used to help concept development?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Concept development can be supported by a...

Question 9

Many factors contribute to the success or failure of a new product.One of the factors found to make a difference is:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Many factors contribute to the success or...

Question 10

Which of the following techniques is the least popular?

Accepted Answer

Lead-users are the least popular technique as they require significant effort to identify and collaborate with a small group of highly innovative users who can offer insights and solutions that can be generalized to a larger population. In contrast, prototyping, segmentation, and experimentation are more commonly used techniques in innovation management.

Question 11

Gary Lynn and Richard Reilly have tried to identify in a systematic way the most common factors that contribute to successful product development, focusing on what they call "blockbuster" products.Which of the following is not a predictor of success?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Gary Lynn and Richard Reilly have tried...

Question 12

Which of the following would not normally be included in Quality Function Deployment (QFD)?

Accepted Answer

QFD typically involves identifying customer requirements and translating them into technical product characteristics, prioritizing these characteristics and determining target values, and establishing the relationships between customer requirements and technical characteristics. Market trials and prototyping are important steps in the product development process but are not typically included in QFD.

Question 13

Research confirms that the most effective organization of development depends on the novelty of the project.Which of the following is not true?

Accepted Answer

The statement "Less novel projects have a greater involvement of lead users" is not true. In fact, lead users are more commonly involved in the development process of high novelty projects where there is a need for innovative solutions.

Question 14

Examination of the actual ways of organizing new product and service development suggests different organizational configurations provide several common elements.Which of these is generally not such an organizing factor?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examination of the actual ways of organizing...

Question 15

Studies of new product development suggest four main types of team structure which of the following is not a valid description?

Accepted Answer

The description for the lightweight product manager structure is a valid type of team structure for new product development.

Quiz 11: Developing New Products and Services