Frank Spital
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
High Tech MBA Program
COURSE OBJECTIVE: This course is about the design, development, and delivery of new products and major innovations. We will deal with technology strategy and transitions, competitive positioning, developing and importing technology knowledge bases, understanding customer desires and learning from our own experience. At the end of the course you should understand many of the failure dynamics of new product development, and productive ways of moving ahead.
BOOK:
Wellsprings of Knowledge, D.Leonard-Barton. HBS Press. 1995.
CASES:
NEC 9 693 095
Honda Today 9 692 044
Microsoft Corp: Office Business Unit 9 691 033
Associated Instruments 9 689 052
BMW: The R-Series Project 9 692 083
Excalibur 9 689 062
Healthcare Industries: Hospital Equipment Division 9 695 011
Materials Technology Corporation 9 694 075
Active Coatings, Inc. (A) 9 796 061
Zoll Medical Corporation (A) 9 795 053
WRITTEN WORK: There is a written project due on March 12. This project must involve the application of some of the course material to your company or industry, and your evaluation of the implications of that application. We will spend some time during each session working on this application. You can turn these papers in early if you so desire.
In addition to this project, there will be a "one minute paper" due each week. This paper should outline the major points you wish to make about the case for that week, and must include your recommended actions. This can be in "bullet" form, and must not exceed a half page in length.
GRADING: Course grades will be based 50% on the project and 50% on class participation. Attendance in class is expected, a good grade in class participation requires active contribution.
ASSIGNMENTS: At this point in your learning, I do not give detailed questions to guide the analysis for each case. Part of the challenge is to decide which are the important issues, and what you have to understand in order to resolve them.
CLASS SESSIONS:
Jan. 8 Read: Ch. 1 "Core Capabilities." Case: Zoll Medical Corporation
Jan. 15 Read: Ch. 2 "Core Rigidities." Case: NEC
Jan. 22 Read: Ch. 3 "Shared Problem Solving." Case: Associated Instruments
Jan. 29 Read: Ch. 4 "Implementing and Integrating New Technical Processes and Tools." Case: Microsoft Corp: Office Business Unit
Feb. 5 Read: Ch. 5 "Experimenting and Prototyping." Case: BMW: the R-Series Project
Feb. 12 Read: Case: Honda
Feb. 19 Read: Ch. 6 "Importing and Absorbing Technological Knowledge from Outside the Firm." Case: Excalibur
Feb. 26 Read: Ch. 7 "Learning from the Market." Case: Healthcare Industries: Hospital Equipment Division
Mar. 5 Read: Case: Materials Technology Corporation
Mar. 7 NOTE THIS IS A FRIDAY CLASS. Read: Ch. 8 "Transferring Product Development Capabilities into Developing Countries" Case: Active Coatings
Mar. 12 What have we learned? Application to your experience, and reflection on high leverage learning.