A new approach based on soft computing to accelerate the selection of new product ideas

The aim of this study is to accelerate new product introduction and to improve the quality of decision-making in new product development (NPD) process under uncertain conditions. We first present the uncertainty factors related to NPD and also give existing decision-making techniques that help the decision makers to reduce their risks under uncertainty. Basically, we are interested in two stages of new product decision-making: the choice of a new product idea ("go"/"no go" decision) and the choice of the right implementation order of the selected product ideas. To achieve this, we propose an integrated approach based on fuzzy logic, neural networks and multi criteria decision-making to make the most appropriate decisions. By utilizing artificial intelligent techniques, we manage to accelerate the selection process. Finally, a case study in a toy manufacturing firm is given to demonstrate the potential of the methodology. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.