Concurrent engineeringthe moderating effect of uncertainty on new product development success

Abstract

This work analyses, using linear regression, the link between concurrent engineering and success in the new product development (NPD) process under varying uncertainty conditions. The results indicate that, in environments of low or moderate uncertainty, overlapping of activities, inter-functional integration and teamwork positively affect the NPD performance in terms of development time, quality and success in launching new products. Conversely, such effects are not seen in conditions of high uncertainty. Therefore, the conclusion is that the use of concurrent engineering must depend on the context or specific conditions in which the innovative process of the company is managed.