Managing product development collaborations

Managing product development collaborations

A workbook providing support in starting, managing and concluding collaborative product development projects.

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About the Workbook

The workbook helps companies to review their approach to collaborative development and provides support for those with little or no experience in managing collaborative projects. Two primary tools are provided.

• A Collaboration Maturity Audit provides a framework for self-assessment and discussion by describing good practice (and not-so-good practice) at each of four maturity levels for seven key collaborative process areas: collaboration strategy, structured development process, system design & task partitioning, partner selection, partnership formation, partnership management and partnership development.
• A Collaboration Life-cycle Analysis tool facilitates the planning or review of a specific collaborative project by supporting a structured walkthrough to identify critical issues which might have an adverse effect on the project if not specifically managed.

The workbook also contains some useful background material and a collaboration checklist of 25 key points to consider when embarking on a collaborative project.

Further information

Download a short article [PDF file] on the workbook "Managing Product Development Collaborations".

Copies of the workbook are available from the Institute for Manufacturing.
Download an order form.