ABSTRACT
At the end of technical development, the developed product and its marketing plan will be assessed. If everything is in order and approval is given, the product then enters the last stage of product development. This last stage, characteristically called the commercialization stage, consists of initiatives that commercialize and ultimately launch the product. Various activities will be undertaken in this stage, such as market testing, launch preparation, and new product forecasting. One tool that is useful during prelaunch preparation is the launch control protocol. In the same vein as the product protocol during the technical development phase, the launch protocol is used to monitor and control activities during the launch cycle by identifying key “deliverables” or success measures during the product launch. During the launch control protocol, some consideration should be given to unforeseen and nontrackable problems.
