New Product and Innovation Management

New Product and Innovation Management --- Innovation and development of new products and services are essential for the success of any organization. At the same time, designing and launching new products is risky. Managing the new product development therefore involves identifying new product ideas that have great potential and lowering the risk of their failure. This course discusses the stages in the new product development process and avenues for making the process more productive. Specific topics covered include creative techniques for idea generation, designing new products and services using analytical techniques, sales forecasting, testing, and tactics and strategies for new product launch. The course uses lectures, cases, and outside speakers. Moreover, the course includes a project wherein student teams will use the creativity techniques covered in this class to come up with new product ideas and perform a concept test in order to evaluate their feasibility. The course has a quantitative focus and delves on issues that are very relevant to managers on a day to day basis. The course will be especially useful for those interested in product/brand management, management consulting, and entrepreneurship.