ABSTRACT
The analysis was made on data captured during a study of high speed product development practices in small and medium sized businesses in 2002. The survey businesses’ product portfolio is strongly focused on physical and service products. The survey businesses were asked to give general comments on their view of the conditions in “the field of product development”. The survey businesses seemed not to be pushed so much by the technology as earlier maintained in the case and focus group interviews. The innovative element focused on the businesses’ internal competences – and how the businesses’ competences matched the challenge on the tasks of product development – gave a picture of a future high challenge and pressure on this dimension. The core of the product development projects was generally formulated at the strategic level inside the businesses. The businesses maintained that the specifications helped the businesses to reach the success criteria for the product development project.
