ABSTRACT
A product begins with an idea and through engineering efforts, this mental concept turns into a physical reality. Should this embodiment of the concept fulfil a market need—be it real or imagined, it may become a financial success. Throughout the last six or seven decades, a number of approaches have emerged in order to organize the way products are developed; on the one hand, to bring a certain degree of efficiency, and on the other, to ensure that the finished product is what the customer had asked for and wanted. Majority of these methodologies start with an effort to understand the market and/or customer requirements. And, the last step ends with a litany of best practices to launch the product. Some authors place a greater emphasis on the front end, that is, the marketing and business needs, while others concentrate on the back end, that is, product launch. Typically, sources which focus on engineering design practices tend to neglect non-engineering aspects of product development.
