Abstract
What steps should the industrial new product manager take to improve new product performance? This article pulls together the findings from the many research studies into what makes a new product a success. Six important lessons for managers are developed from those studies. The lessons point to a flow model approach to the development and commercialization of a new product — a step-by-step approach to successful product innovation. A seven-stage model, designed to move a product from the idea stage to product launch, is described. Actual case histories illustrate how each stage of the model can be implemented.