Stabilizing New-product Development Processes – A Prerequisite or a Barrier to Satisfy Customer Wants and Needs?

In lean manufacturing, stabilization is viewed as the most fundamental element for achieving efficient work processes and high-quality products. This process principle is built on the fundamental assumption that the right process, under the same conditions, will reproduce itself. Consequently, the process creates reliable outputs which in turn provide successful results for the company. More recently, the concept of stabilization is also emphasized as a key enabler to realize more effective and reliable new-product development processes. This extension of the concept stems from the fact that firms are facing an ever-increasing pace of globalization, resulting in increased competition and more dynamic markets. Increasing pressure to develop and manufacture products of higher quality with more functionality, at a lower cost and in shorter time frames, brings up several important questions as to how stabilization affects innovation capability.