ABSTRACT
In the information industry, change frequently means the creation of new products. New-product development is a particularly exciting part of working for an information organization. Almost everyone enjoys departing from routine—it is fun to speculate on new and different products. Thinking about new products is a sort of daydreaming with a purpose or, as a psychologist might say, "daydreaming without guilt." New-product planning is a relatively business phenomenon. The management literature is replete with information on new-product planning, and a short list of references is provided at the end of this chapter for those who wish to begin their reading on the subject. Ensuring the kind of atmosphere necessary for creative product development is also vital. Top management and the organization as a whole must be willing to take chances and to do things that are out of the ordinary, because the development of new products is not ordinary business.
