Artificial Intelligence in NPD
1. The Artificial Intelligence Revolution in New-Product Innovation
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize all aspects of business, particularly new-product development (NPD). Leading early-adopter firms demonstrate that AI not only finds many applications in NPD, but also offers substantial payoffs, such as 50% reductions in development times. This article provides an outline of the diverse and powerful applications of AI in NPD, offering numerous examples from leading companies. While AI might still resemble science fiction to many, that future is no longer fiction – it's here now. AI has arrived in full force! With an adoption window of about 13 years, the time is now to embrace AI in NPD in your business.
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. 2024. The Artificial Intelligence Revolution in new-product development." IEEE Engineering Management Review 52(1), Feb. 195-211. doi: 10.1109/EMR.2023.3336834. The Artificial Intelligence Revolution in New-Product Development | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore
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2. Leadership Brief: The Artificial Intelligence Revolution in New-Product Development
Dr. Robert G. Cooper
TEMS: in Leadership Brief of the IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Society, March 2024
This article is a two page senior management summary of the article “The Artificial Intelligence Revolution in New Product Development” found in IEEE EMR 2023-24, which is available as article #1 above.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize all aspects of business, particularly new-product development (NPD). Leading early-adopter firms demonstrate that AI not only finds many applications in NPD, but also offers substantial payoffs, such as 50% reductions in development times. This article provides an quick overview of some of the and powerful applications of AI in NPD. While AI might still resemble science fiction to many, that future is no longer fiction – it's here now. AI has arrived in full force! With an adoption window of about 13-16 years, the time is now to embrace AI in NPD in your business.
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3. What AI is and What Can AI Do for You and Your Business?
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, Feb 2024
A clear and useful definition of what AI for business is, and an understanding of the power and potential of AI in your business, particularly for marketing and new product development.
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. 2024. What AI is and What Can AI Do for You and Your Business? ISBM (Institute for the Study of Business Markets). Feb. Library - ISBM. Link: What_AI_can_do_for_you_and_your_company-2024_ISBM.pdf (bobcooper.ca)
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4. AI and New Product Development: Resources
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for several decades, quietly automating tasks and making things like data analysis more efficient. Only recently has AI has begun to transform new product development (NPD), however. Currently, just 30 percent of new product projects succeed commercially; AI offers tremendous potential for improving NPD results. The AI revolution is set to transform these results. Early-adopter firms have demonstrated that AI has many applications in the NPD process and can yield substantial payoffs—as much as a 50 percent reduction in new product development times. Thus, many firms are getting into adopting AI for NPD, and have set up Task Forces to move this transformation forward.
The article was co-authored with the Editor of the Research-Technology Management journal to meet the needs of many readers of the journal, namely getting up to speed on AI for NPD. The article appeared in the journal’s “Resource” section. It provides many resources that are available to the reader to find out more about AI, AI in NPD, and about many of the applications outlined in the article – an excellent knowledge source for the Task Force working on your business’s “AI in NPD” transformation initiative.
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. and McCausland, Tammy. 2024. AI and New Product Development. Research-Technology Management: 70-75. Jan 16 online. Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2024.2280485
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5. The AI Transformation of Product Innovation
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, March 2024
The future Is here.… now! It’s time to start the journey in your business.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the way we conceive, develop and launch new products (NPs). Initial results from early adopting firms are dramatic: reductions in development times of 50% or more; better optimization of product designs; breakthrough discoveries of new products; and better launch planning. Early adopter firms have implemented AI for various reasons, but the number one benefit realized is increased innovation. This AI revolution wave is coming fast, estimated to have a 13-year window of adoption, peaking before the end of this decade.
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. 2024. The AI Transformation of Product Innovation. Industrial Marketing Management, online preprint. Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2024.03.008
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6. Unleashing the Power of Artificial Intelligence in New Product Development: Building AI Into Your Stage-Gate® New-Product Process
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, May 2024
AI is transforming every aspect of business. Early adopter firms have implemented AI for various reasons, but the number one benefit realized is increased innovation.
Navigating the more than 40 applications of AI in new-product development can be daunting. This article delves into five key areas where AI holds immense potential, with detailed descriptions, use cases, and results.
This article is the first of a 2-part article series. Part 2 (article #7 below) provides on insights on how to deploy AI in NPD in your company. Read it here: http://www.bobcooper.ca/images/files/articles/0/03-AI How_to_Transform_NPD_w_AI_-_ISBM_Jan_2024.pdf
Want to learn more about the Stage-Gate® New Product Process? Check out the article The 5th Generation State-Gate Idea-to-Launch Process.
Ready to elevate your results? Contact us today to explore integrating AI into your NPD processes. Contact us at www.bobcooper.ca.
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. 2024. “Unleashing the Power of Artificial Intelligence in New Product Development: Building AI Into Your Stage-Gate® New-Product Process,” Product Development Institute, May 1. Article #6 at: Robert G. Cooper - Artificial Intelligence in NPD (bobcooper.ca)
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7. How to Transform Your New-Product Development with AI: From Vision to Deployment
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the way we conceive, develop and launch new products (NPs). Initial results from early adopting firms, like GE, Siemens, Nestle, ad Moderna, are dramatic: reductions in development times of 50% or more; better optimization of product designs; breakthrough discoveries of new products; and better launch planning.
Many firms, or CEOs, are eager to adopt AI. But how do you move ahead with AI in NPD? This article outlines some of the reasons for hesitancy, and ways to deal with these. It also highlights risks and ethical issues, and how build a robust business case for moving forward. Finally, the article provides a proven "playbook" or "game plan" that is based on technology adoption frameworks using a stage-gate approach; the gameplan also mitigates the perceived risks of adopting AI.
To cite this article: Cooper, R.G. 2024. How to Transform Your New-Product Development with AI: From Vision to Deployment. ISBM (Institute for the Study of Business Markets). Link: Tranforming-NPD_Cooper_Jan-2024_rev2.pdf (isbm.com)
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8. The Adoption of AI in New Product Development
Results of a Multi-Firm Study in the US and Europe
In Research-Technology-Management
Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Dr. Alexr M. Brem
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming all aspects of business, including new product development (NPD). Early adopters of AI for NPD are reaping substantial rewards, witnessing remarkable reductions in development timelines, and experiencing a more rapid pace of innovation. But what about the more typical firm? This article presents the results of a study of US and Central European (mostly German) companies, shedding light on the current state of AI implementation across 13 key AI applications in NPD. We also explore firms’ intent to adopt various AI applications, and finally reveal the impact that the use of each of these 13 applications have on new product performance KPIs. The results are provocative, and we conclude with important messages for management.
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. and Brem, Alexander M. 2024. “The Adoption of AI in New Product Development: Results of a Multi-Firm Study in the US and Europe.” Research-Technology Management 67(3), 44-54.DOI: 10.1080/08956308.2024.2324241. Link: Robert G. Cooper - Artificial Intelligence in NPD (bobcooper.ca)
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9. Breaking Barriers: Overcoming the Roadblocks to AI Adoption in New Product Development
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, June 2024
Early adopters of AI for new-product development (NPD), such as GE, Siemens, Pfizer, and Nestle, report dramatic performance results, and are currently accelerating their investment in AI. But despite the promise that AI offers, only 24% of all firms globally reported using AI in their NPD programs by 2024. But why the hesitation?
The article outlines the seven main reasons for hesitancy to adopt AI for NPD – the roadblocks. Thse barriers must be understood and they merit a mitigation plan as your business moves forward into the adoption of AI for NPD.
To cite this article:Cooper, Robert G. 2024. “Breaking Barriers: Overcoming the Roadblocks to AI Adoption in New Product Development.” Library: Product Development Institute,Artificial Intelligence in NPD, Article #9. Link: Robert G. Cooper - Artificial Intelligence in NPD (bobcooper.ca)
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10. Why AI Projects Fail: Lessons From New Product Development
Dr. Robert G. Cooper
PREPRINT: IEEE Engineering Management Review, June 2028
ABSTRACT
The majority of AI projects in business do not succeed. Despite numerous opinion pieces on the causes of these failures, there is a notable scarcity of solid research on the subject. Analysis of the available data shows that the reasons for AI failures are strikingly similar to those identified in the extensively studied field of new product development (NPD). Furthermore, effective strategies from NPD can be adapted to address AI project failures. This article identifies seven primary reasons for AI failures in business, primarily stemming from poor business practices, and offers corresponding recommendations for improvement.
To cite this article:Cooper, Robert G. 2024. “Why AI Projects Fail: Lessons From New Product Development.” Pre-print in IEEE Engineering Management Reivew, June 2024. Article #10. Link:Robert G. Cooper - Artificial Intelligence in NPD (bobcooper.ca)
Note: This article has not yet been copyedited, and may have errors and also maybe be altered prior to final publication.
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11. The Coming AI Wave: The Impact on Product Development in Engineering Management
When will the coming AI wave crest? And what impact will AI have on engineering management and new-product development in your company? Many leadership teams seem uncertain about the ultimate role of AI in their corporation, its potential impact, and its timing—whether they should move forward now at full speed, or watch and wait for a while. This article provides insights on the current status as well as recommendations on how to get started on implementing AI in NPD
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. 2024. The Coming AI Wave: The Impact on Product Development in Engineering Management. IEEE Engineering Management Review 52(3), June: 17-25. 10.1109/EMR.2024.3378536 Link: The Coming AI Wave: The Impact on Product Development in Engineering Management | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore
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12. The Adoption and Impact of AI by SMEs for New-Product Development
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, July 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform all aspects of business, and with it, new product development (NPD). Pioneering companies, like Siemens, GE, Nestle, and Pfizer, that are early adopters of AI for NPD have reaped substantial rewards, witnessing notable reductions in development timelines and a heightened pace of innovation. But what about the more typical firm or smaller firm?
To address this question, we conducted a survey of Irish small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to shed light on the current implementation status of AI across 13 crucial applications in NPD. The article reports the results and also delves into the SMEs' intentions to adopt AI, along with the improvements that AI has brought.
The results are surprising and somewhat alarming – the low level of adoption – given that the benefits of AI in business in general, and in NPD in particular, have been outlined many times in respected publications. The article concludes with critical messages for management, offering three recommendations to guide the next steps forward.
To cite this article:Cooper, Robert G. 2024. “The Adoption and Impact of AI by SMEs for New-Product Development” Product Development Institute Library. July. Link: Robert G. Cooper - Artificial Intelligence in NPD (bobcooper.ca)
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13. YouTube Video: The Artificial Intelligence Revolution in Product Innovation
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize all aspects of business, particularly new-product development (NPD). Leading early-adopter firms demonstrate that AI not only finds many applications in NPD, but also offers substantial payoffs, such as 50% reductions in development times. This webinar provides an outline of the diverse and powerful applications of AI in NPD, offering numerous examples from leading companies. Our journey begins at the idea stage and traverses the entire new-product process to the post-launch period.
While AI might still resemble science fiction to many, that future is no longer fiction – it's here now. AI has arrived in full force! With an adoption window of about 15 years, the time is now to embrace AI in NPD in your business.
YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZKhyCCJ7FM
14. Winning the 'Product Innovation Game': The 2030 Mandate for Manufacturers
Innovation propels companies to greatness! To survive and prosper, manufacturers must strive to excel at product innovation this decade. Manufacturers will need to make their NPD processes more robust by integrating their Operations staff earlier in the innovation process. To make their innovation process leaner and faster, manufacturers can use Lean-Six Sigma methods, such as Value Stream Mapping. And firms can also build in “build-and-test iterations”, much like in Agile software development, to validate new products technically and with customers – to get the product right first time. Finally, Artificial Intelligence has a big role to play in product innovation, and will be a game-changer in the years ahead in the conceiving, developing and launching new products. The time is now to start build AI into one’s product innovation process.
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. 2023. “Winning the ‘Product Innovation Game’: The 2030 Mandate for Manufacturers.” The Manufacturing Leadership Council Journal,Dec. Winning the ‘Product Innovation Game’: The 2030 Mandate for Manufacturers - The Manufacturing Leadership Council
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15. The Coming AI Wave: The Impact on Product Development in Engineering Management
When will the coming AI wave crest? And what impact will AI have on engineering management and new-product development in your company? Many leadership teams seem uncertain about the ultimate role of AI in their corporation, its potential impact, and its timing—whether they should move forward now at full speed, or watch and wait for a while. This article provides insights on the current status as well as recommendations on how to get started on implementing AI in NPD
To cite this article: Cooper, Robert G. 2024. The Coming AI Wave: The Impact on Product Development in Engineering Management. IEEE Engineering Management Review 52(3), June: 17-25. 10.1109/EMR.2024.3378536 Link: The Coming AI Wave: The Impact on Product Development in Engineering Management | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore
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16. Short Video: The AI Revolution in New Product Development
(17-minute video)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is about to revolutionize all aspects of business, particularly new-product development (NPD). Early-adopter firms – like GE, Siemens, P&G, Pfizer, Nestle & Unilever – demonstrate that AI not only finds many applications in new-product development (NPD), but also offers substantial payoffs, such as a 50% reduction in development times or a 60% increase in the pace of innovation (through-put). Some examples are nothing short of astounding.
This short video provides a good introduction to the topic. Over 40 different unique applications for AI exists in NPD, a bit overwhelming. We provide a map of the landscape to help you understand where AI might best be applied in your business’s NPD efforts. And also a few solid examples of how AI works here.
Be sure to read the full article on this website (same title as video).
17. Digital Transformation and Its Impact on New-Product Management for Manufacturers
For the manufacturer undertaking new-product development, Digital Transformation means smart new products with embedded software. It also means combining software development methods with the more traditional gating process that manufacturers use. The result is a new more agile gating approach, called Agile-Stage-Gate®, already adopted by some leading manufacturers with very positive results. Digital platforms will also be needed to support the embedded software, thus requiring manufacturers to significantly modify their technology development methods. Finally, Digital Transformation offers new tools for product developers – from testing via simulations, to AI to invent or design the product – that greatly accelerate or enhance the new-product process.
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18. Accelerating Innovation: Some Lessons From the Pandemic
Awarded "Top Article for 2021-2022". The Pandemic taught us that accelerated new-product development is more important than ever, and provided examples of firms developing breakthrough products in record time. Five approaches to accelerated development are outlined here: The first two deal with adequately resourcing new-product projects, namely the use of focused teams; and effective portfolio management to prioritize projects and reallocate resources. Newer digital tools are outlined that speed new-products developments. Finally, two development methods are described that move development projects faster: Lean development and Agile development. Accelerated development also has hidden costs: undertaking less innovative projects and cutting too many corners.