The Innovation Imperative

Manufacturing firms are faced with the unruly challenge of global markets demanding product innovation and extensive product diversification simultaneously. Through case studies and strategies, The Innovation Imperative shows companies how to increase profits and compete more effectively on a global scale by managing product families. While companies have traditionally focused on strategies for single model introduction, this innovative book develops strategies to manage product families to achieve a higher level of global competitiveness. Using graphs, tables and examples from actual companies, the book shows how manufacturing firms can cope with dynamic change through strategies such as: Virtual design; Manufacturing agility; Agile supplier relations.