FACULTY OF APPLIED ARTS

PRODUCT DESIGN DEP.

COURSE TITLE : RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

ASSISTANT PROF. : M.MOHAMED RYEAD

LECTURE :3
3- CONCEPT OF A R&D PROJECT
- Project define as A unique set of coordinated
activities, with definite starting and finishing points,
undertaken by an individual or organization to meet
specific objectives within defined schedule, cost and
performance parameters

- Global competition turns companies to seek for more

innovative ways to survive.
- Project management helps achieve human efforts
to finalize activities at a certain point in time.
- Once we have a unique and new idea, for the
realization of which we need time and financial
resources, we can participate a hard-working and
supportive team with a progressive and well-
informed leader and supporters as stakeholders, we
also need a well-organized plan. Such description
leads us to the concept of R&D project management.
see Figure 3.
The concept of R&D project management
R&D project in the scale of any type of project

- The typology of R&D project could be based on the

clarity of the goals and methods used to implement
projects.

- From this perspective we can identify four groups

of projects. ( figure 5. four groups of project types )

- When the goals are clear and the method is well

defined, we have the production projects operated in
the well-defined environment with well-defined
parameters of success (first group).
- (first group) When the goals are clear and the
method is well defined, we have the production
projects operated in the well-defined environment
with well-defined parameters of success .

- (second group) When the goal is clear but the

method is unique and not very clear at the starting
phase, we operate in the range of product
development projects – namely innovation projects .
- The (third group) consists of projects with a
clearly defined method but with a less clearly defined
goal. This group is called system development.

- The (last group) is represented by R&D projects

with uncertainties in regard to the definition of both
the method and the goals.
4 - The type of R&D project.
- Considering the type of R&D, Coombs et al. (1998)
listed three different types:

- 1. projects oriented to new product or process;

- 2. product or technology enhancement;

- 3. creation or development of new product

technology platform
4 - The type of R&D project.
- Considering the type of R&D, Coombs et al. (1998)
listed three different types:

- 1. projects oriented to new product or process;

- 2. product or technology enhancement;

- 3. creation or development of new product

technology platform
4-1- R&D projects oriented to new
product or process.
- This project starts from a scientific investigation
phase which corresponds to the first project
management phase “Initial scoping”.
- The next phase is very short: it is the decision
moment.
- Then full scale product development begins with
some elements of planning day-to-day activities.
- The fifth phase is implementation/ launching of the
developed product or process and the project is
completed with a post-launch management and
control phase .
2. Decision moment.
A ‘go/not to go’ decision is taken based on the
output of the investigation phase. At this stage,
particular alternative for project development is
chosen in accordance with the first stage output.