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More than 25 years after the German reunification, data show that products/brands from the eastern regions of Germany (“Neue Länder”) still do not have significant shares in the country's western part (“Alte Länder”). To analyze potential reasons for this phenomenon, our current study replicates a previous study that investigated selected attitudes of Alte Länder consumers toward products/brands from the Neue Länder. It is shown that factors such as consumer ethnocentrism, product judgment, willingness to buy, and economic animosity continue to influence consumer behavior and as such our study offers potential explanation for the failure of Neue Länder products/brands in the western regions of Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goods multiple lives practices (GMLPs) encompass a wide range of diverse practices that extend product lifecycles. We propose that it is through a holistic consideration of the concept that it is possible to understand its breadth and scope as well as its potential consequences in terms of increased value for consumers. Through 15 in-depth interviews and secondary data analysis, this study explores the value-creating potential of GMLPs for consumers. The results suggest that these practices are based upon three key dimensions to create perceived value for consumers: polymorphous exchanges, protean intermediation, and multichannel structuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mass collaboration mode, there exist a large number of product ideas with low value density and thousands of participants who are differed on their professional backgrounds, knowledge structures, and value orientations. It is impossible for each participant to give a comprehensive evaluation of each idea as that in traditional methods for the reasons as mentioned above. In order to solve this problem, a mass collaboration-driven method for recommending product ideas is proposed based on Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence (DST). Firstly, the method for computing basic probability assignment (BPA) function, which can effectively reflect the facticity of experts’ evaluations, is introduced by discounting belief degrees with weights to extract the evaluation information of product ideas. Then, Dempster’s combination rule is used to combine the derived BPA functions for two times: the first one is to combine the discounted BPA functions on all criteria with respect to a specified expert and the other is to combine the combined BPA functions for all experts with respect to a specified alternative. Finally, the steps of mass collaboration-driven method for recommending product ideas based on the DST are proposed. An illustrative example is provided to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing demand for customized solution offers instead of standardized products is reality in many business sectors on both B2B and B2C markets. While this approach is well developed in some B2B sectors it is not that often in majority of B2C markets. Rapid technology development within past years gives more possibilities to increase production flexibility in wider range of production sectors. This will lead in increasing level of product customization shortly. Purpose of this article is to summarize the research on how the product innovation oriented companies are prepared in terms of their internal infrastructure for effective customized product solution development and delivery to their customers. Two interlinked researches were performed through Czech, Austrian, German and Swiss product innovation oriented manufacturing companies. Quantitative research compares whether and how customized product offer is communicated by companies to their market. Qualitative research was performed in form of five case studies to deeper observe and study internal technical and production infrastructure of the selected companies. Results of performed quantitative research were statistically evaluated and tested. Outcomes of qualitative research gives deeper knowledge of the infrastructure used in selected companies for development and production of customized products. The research proves increasing focus of the companies on offer individualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study of product design and manufacturing companies in Trinidad and Tobago. Using the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA) database, three companies engaged in original mechanical or electrical product design and manufacturing agreed to participate in the study. Design process and product audits were used to evaluate the current design practice and quality of the designed products. The research findings demonstrate that local design process capabilities and product quality are lacking within Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's). This was due to companies not being able to afford full-time product design expertise and formal design skills not being appreciated by business owners. Recommendations were made to address this situation including design education workshops to sensitise business owners about product design techniques and audits, and national incentives to encourage and support the business of product design through product design partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the mediating role of product status signaling in the relationship between materialism and product satisfaction of Saudi and Malaysian adults. We performed structural equation modeling to analyze data from 894 Generations X and Y participants in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, who responded to a self-administered survey. Contrary to previous research findings both from Malaysia, and from North American and other Western-culture samples, there were positive significant direct effects of materialism on product satisfaction for consumers in both countries. The results of the mediating effect (materialistic values → product status signaling → product satisfaction) indicated that, for Saudis, the effect was positive and moderate in strength, whereas for Malaysians, the effect was positive and strong. The overall results showed that product status signaling acted as a partial mediator in the relationship between materialistic values and product satisfaction. On the basis of these results, it is important for marketers to understand that both Malaysian and Saudi consumers—Saudis in particular—tend to rely, and focus, on the symbolic meanings attached to products that will only be successfully communicated if the symbolism in the product is socially and visibly recognized by these consumers. Suggestions for future research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experience design takes experiential aspects as the starting point of design. This approach is hardly ever utilised in the work context, although positive and meaningful experiences in the workplace are known to be important. Thus, we are interested in the profound experiences that address the meaning of work in the long run, since the perception of one's work as meaningful has been shown to elicit various positive effects both for the employees and the employers. This research article therefore investigates how to define meaningful experience goals for work tool design. The research examined 31 experience goals collected from 10 tool design cases through the lens of 2 theories: the mechanisms of meaningful work (MMW) and the positive design framework (PDF). From this, we have identified that the MMW can substantiate the PDF and extend its application into work-related contexts. Complemented by these mechanisms, a PDF for work tools has been proposed to help experience designers in the challenging task of experience goal definition in the early phase of experience design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers product placement as an advertising vehicle. The topic has been the subject of debate, consultation and policy making in the United Kingdom for several years, both as a matter of principle and as a requirement of EU Directive implementation. Product placement had been banned since 1954. It is now legal but limited. The article begins with a brief, historical and transatlantic view of this promotional activity. Despite resolute government statements about preserving the ban, the same administration later reversed its view. It is suggested that the change is not to obtain commercial advantage, but to avoid commercial disadvantage. It is submitted that despite the uproar these changes caused, they will only marginally affect audiences and revenues and that they amount to a reversal rather than a revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing interest in the exploitation of new Patagonian marine crabs was manifested by the industry, due to their commercial value as frozen products. In the present work the freezing of two products: crab meat in plastic pouches and crab claws was experimentally conducted and numerically modeled. Non linear, non-stationary heat conduction partial differential equations were solved to simulate the freezing of pouches, using a computational program in finite elements coded by the authors. The freezing of crab claws was simulated considering the irregular geometry of the system and two domains with different thermal properties (crab meat in contact with a calcareous layer) using Heaviside and Gaussian functions, to obtain a smoother specific heat curve. Heat transfer coefficients in the industrial tunnel freezer were determined from independent experiments. The influence of the freezing rate on the size of the ice crystals was determined by histological observations. Numerical models were satisfactorily validated by means of experimental time-temperature curves obtained at industrial scale in freezing tunnels. Tracking of the warmest point paths in each product was performed. These simulations are of great value for food process design and can help to optimize and control the freezing of new products [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We evaluated the novel purification method of IgGs using a mutant type of protein A, TRPA. [•] TRPA binds IgGs at low temperature, but releases them at 40°C. [•] Human IgG1 was purified by TRPA column only by shifting the temperature. [•] Human IgG1 purified by TRPA column maintained an inherent binding affinity to antigen. [•] IgG sensitive to acid treatment can be purified with a high affinity by using TRPA column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to analyze the effect of product placement on attitude change and takes into consideration psychological models of the mere exposure effect. A sample of high school students watched an excerpt from two widely-distributed movies in which several products were shown by using the technique known as product placement. The results indicate that students who saw the commercial brand liked the products more than those who didn't see it. This effect, in line with the literature on the product placement effect, seems to be independent from the recognition of the brand in the movie excerpt. This study also shows that, in the high involvement condition, one exposure is enough to produce a positive attitude toward the brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In debates about the commercialization of public service broadcasting little attention has been paid to the ways in which the public might experience the commercial and public service activities of public service broadcasters and the impact that this may have on the reputations of public service broadcasters. This is despite the fact that public service broadcasters increasingly depend on public support for their continued survival. Using the case study of the BBC, this article examines the ways in which the corporation has adopted strategic brand management to negotiate the relationship between its commercial and public service activities. Focusing on specific examples of the BBC’s commercial and public services, the article reveals a tension between the corporation’s attempts to ensure that all activities support its public purposes and its need to ensure separation between public and commercial work. The article argues that rather than seeing commercial activity and public service broadcasting as inherently contradictory, we should be looking at the ways in which public service broadcasters can better communicate the relationship between their commercial and public service activities while continuing to argue for the social and cultural value of publicly funded broadcasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new product development process is usually under economic and technical uncertainties, and adjustable to the arrival of new information. As a result, new product development is not a one-time decision but a dynamic process under uncertainties. This paper applies repeated real options to derive optimal decision-making rules for a firm that faces two repeated options: 1) an incremental innovation project that is relatively easy to be developed and 2) a radical innovation project that offers superior performance but its development is much more difficult. Our findings can help firms make dynamic investment decisions on coexisting new product development projects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Main goal of this paper is to create the reverse logistics model that uses reliability theory to describe reusability of product parts with assumption that recovered components are used in process of new products manufacturing. Authors assume that they aren't as good as new ones which is an important difference compared to the most models that were created before. The model allows to estimate the potential profits of the reusing policy in a production and gives the base to optimize some of the process parameters: the threshold work time of returns or the warranty period for products containing reused elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intentions to adopt new products are guided by motivational systems in the sense that they promote accomplishments (positive experiences) and prevent regrets (negative experiences). This article fills a theoretical gap by proposing that motivational systems act through a set of choice-related Goals, which determine consumers' tendencies to innovate in product categories. Based upon exploratory interviews and a survey of consumers that have recently acquired personal electronics, the authors examine how four chosen Goals, two regarding promotion (justification and confidence in choice) and two regarding prevention (avoiding regret and evaluate costs associated with choices), guide the tendency to adopt new products. Two groups of respondents emerged from analyzing the degree to which the consumers adopt new technology. Comparison of the group models suggests that the respondents with the greater innovativeness show greater confidence in their choices, greater capacity for justifying their choices, and also a greater chance of not regretting their choices. These results suggest that choice-related Goals are antecedents that explain choice-related behavior and the adoption of innovative products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of a comparative analysis of the impact of individual, organizational, and managerial factors on organizational innovation. Our study, which is based on 345 responses from managers and employees of companies operating in Poland, found out that organizational and managerial variables are much better predictors of organizational innovation than individual variables. The results also suggest that organizational innovation mediates relationships between each individual, organizational, and managerial variable and (1) firm performance, and (2) new product success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the principle of labelling of food products, whose producers have to comply with in order to ensure food safety. It presents the scope of national legislation regarding mandatory labelling of marketed food. The primary source of authoritative and reliable information on food product should be attached to a label that provides a competent and honest product description. It characterizes the label of the food, paying particular attention to those elements that are of direct relevance to consumer health protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical literacy involves products that use words, numbers and graphs together to communicate messages. It includes skills in making and using these products. The focus for National Statistics Offices (NSOs) is on making data products, including statistical indicators. Such products are becoming more numerous, more detailed, more diverse, and more readily available. Students, in learning to make their own data products, can use Official Statistics as models of good practice, giving them a ready-made and large resource to draw on. Statistics New Zealand, like some other NSOs, has a number of products designed specifically to support school statistics learning and a larger number designed for public and/or professional audiences. We outline some established and new products of both forms including Synthetic Unit Record Files (SURFs) for schools and the educational use of [free] public releases including Hot Off The Presses, Infoshare (time-series data sets), Table Builder, and QuickStats about places and subjects. There are fun challenges for both official statistics agencies and statistical literacy educators here. We discuss how both groups can work together to ensure that the education community knows about these products and knows how to use them effectively. We need to ensure that these data products are accessible, interesting, valued and engaged with. The Certificate in Official Statistics aims to advance the practice of statistical literacy in the Official Statistics sector. We outline our four years of experience with this qualification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Applications of information and communications technology (ICT) for the management of environmental data, if used during the design and at the end of the product life cycle, can improve the environmental performance of products. This specific application of ICT for data management is called product data technology (PDT) and is based on the use of international standards developed by ISO TC184/SC4. PDT enables the computerized representations of information about products, processes, and their properties that are independent of any proprietary computer system or software application. The standard product data models are designed to integrate the necessary information about materials used in the product, and such information can be accessed and used at any point in the life cycle, from design to disposal. In the article, we present how PDT can support life cycle assessment (LCA) by focusing on a series of standards for communicating data for design and manufacture and standards for business and commercial information. Examples of possibilities for using PDT and semantic web for LCA data are introduced. The findings presented here are based on DEPUIS (Design of Environmentally-Friendly Products Using Information Standards), a project aimed at improving the eco-design of new products and services through the innovative use of new information standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide this issue is subject to an extensive community of specialists, the complex measures developed to reduce costs came to be considered a possibility of management (costs method management). The management and the control of the entire manufacturing process through costs support and enhance industrial strategies adopted by companies who practice this method. The method has worked in the Japanese economy which develops new products, not only to make better use of the available production capacity, but to sell them successfully in a predetermined market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have fruitfully investigated the success factors of new product development. Most of these studies explored the phenomenon from the firm/team level. Little has been done from the perspective of how individuals within new product teams contribute to new product development (NPD) and its performance. Yet, any organizational output should be imputable to specific individuals, and understanding the various individuals’ respective contributions is paramount to explaining the collective outcome. In this study, we explore the role of social competency of individual members of teams in the NPD process. Our results show that individuals within NPD teams having social competency are social architects who understand and can successfully manage the interaction between organizational and behavioral variables. We find that social competency is a reliable predictor of new product performance. Also, we find that learning is both a mediating and moderating variable, while technological competency and market knowledge are moderators of social competency in its relationship to NPD performance. The implication is that firms should take individual characteristic variables such as social competency into consideration when they develop and commercialize product innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent times, globalization has brought us not only new opportunities but also new challenges. The theme of innovation has become a mandatory topic for all industries-it has become a focal point for the enterprise, society, and the world. The goal of innovation is to create business value by developing worthwhile ideas into a customer-centric marketable reality. This, for most companies, is difficult to achieve due to the lack of a methodology and tools for systematic innovative thinking. This article presents an operating system for innovation by offering a methodology for systematic innovative thinking and a toolbox of interconnected tools that can aid in the transformation of core product competencies into effective product-service amalgamations. Brief reviews of product innovation and emerging concepts of product-service systems are presented. Then, a methodology for systematic thinking is proposed, relying on the integration of the novel innovation matrix, application space mapping, and quality function deployment tools. Furthermore, a case study is presented with concluding remarks and future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of moulded micro components including design, manufacture and quality control is a highly integrated process. A lot of experts, machines, tools, etc. should be deployed meaningfully along this process. The process chain was never written down in detail or as a whole so that new products could be developed on this basis. All developments hitherto have been carried out partly intuitive and partly based on area-specific sub process chains. For an efficient and effective planning and controlling and user support during future tool-based micro product engineering processes, the authors propose a corresponding reference process model. For this purpose, implicit process knowledge must be retrieved from expert's minds to consider area-specific sub-process chains. For implementation of the reference process model, the Integrated Product Engineering Model (iPeM) will be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model driven engineering (MDE) of software product lines (SPLs) merges two increasing important paradigms that synthesize programs by transformation. MDE creates programs by transforming models, and SPLs elaborate programs by applying transformations called features. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a transformational model of a product line of scalar vector graphics and JavaScript applications. We explain how we simplified our implementation by lifting selected features and their compositions from our original product line (whose implementations were complex) to features and their compositions of another product line (whose specifications were simple). We used operators to map higher-level features and their compositions to their lower-level counterparts. Doing so exposed commuting relationships among feature compositions in both product lines that helped validate our model and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a ubiquitous system that combines context information, security mechanisms and a transport infrastructure to provide authentication and secure transport of works of art. Authentication is provided for both auctions and exhibitions, where users can use their own mobile devices to authenticate works of art. Transport is provided by a secure protocol that makes use of position–time information and wireless sensors providing context information. The system has been used in several real case studies in the context of the CUSPIS project and continues to be used as a commercial product for the transportation and exhibition of cultural assets in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers a two-commodity continuous review inventory system in which the arriving customers belong to any one of three types, such that type 1 customers demand a single item of the first commodity, type 2 customers demand bulk items of the second commodity, and type 3 customers demand one item of the first commodity and bulk items of the second commodity. The arrivals of all three types of customers are assumed to be a Markovian arrival process (MAP). It is also assumed that the number of items demanded for the second commodity is a random variable. The ordering policy is to place orders for both commodities when the inventory levels are below prefixed levels for both commodities. The lead time is assumed to have a phase type distribution, and the demands that occur during stock out period are assumed to be lost. The joint probability distribution for both commodities is obtained in the steady state case. Various measures of system performance and the total expected cost rate in the steady state are derived. The results are illustrated with numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the magnitude of geographic as well as commodity concentration for Malaysia from 1970 to 2003 and how the pattern of trade and instability has changed over time. The instability index is regressed upon a set of explanatory variables including commodity concentration, geographic concentration and share of primary commodity exports. The results indicate that the commodity concentration appears as a significant variable in explaining the export earnings instability. The paper recommends Malaysia takes several measures in order to remain immune from negative effects of instability. They include the continuous effort to stay competitive by maintaining productivity higher than production cost, to diversity' as well as broaden its industrial base and constantly find new markets for new products. These measures, in the presence of right macro-economic policies supplemented by increasing foreign direct investment with intra-regional trade paved the way for market-friendly approach backed by a number of liberalization measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer-based representations of products offer potential time and cost savings in the early design stages of new product development. As technology progresses they offer considerable scope for co-designing, giving users a voice early in the design process. However, few studies address how users relate to such models. A laboratory-based study was conducted with 13 older users (six men and seven women) to investigate their understanding of model formats used at an early stage of prototyping (i.e. on-screen digital images and physical rapid prototyped (RP) models). The results indicate that users were able to identify the basic purpose or function of a familiar product from the 2D line drawings. However, perceptions of size, weight and materials were poor, particularly with a less familiar product. Essentially, finished RP models and 3D colour computer-aided design images were found to communicate products more completely to users and therefore useful for eliciting feedback. Unfinished models were found to be confusing to users, but elicited more frequent suggestions for improvements indicating a role in co-designing. Guidelines are put forward to encourage optimum use of these models and to facilitate communication between users and designers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating the customer in the innovation process is believed to be a powerful means to reduce failure rates and to increase the revenue from new products. Although many companies have launched programmes to enable such integration, the understanding of the mechanisms behind successful programmes remains limited. Furthermore, the benefit of integrating customers in the innovation process has to be weighed against the costs. Virtual customer integration has been discussed as a way to limit these costs and bring the benefits of potentially unlimited scalability. Using a sample of the Euro Stoxx 50 companies, we shed light on the various types of virtual customer integration platforms, their limitations, their benefits and the mechanisms that have to be put in place to make them succeed. Results indicate that only a limited number of platforms go beyond the sourcing of ideas. Especially the integration of the customer in the execution phase of the innovation process remains largely limited to digital goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For successful new product development, it is necessary to understand the customers'' holistic experience of the product beyond traditional task completion, and acceptance measures. This paper describes research in which ninety-eight UK owners of luxury saloons assessed the feel of push-switches in five luxury saloon cars both in context (in-car) and out of context (on a bench). A combination of hedonic data (i.e. a measure of ‘liking’), qualitative data and semantic differential data was collected. It was found that customers are clearly able to differentiate between switches based on the degree of liking for the samples'' perceived haptic qualities, and that the assessment environment had a statistically significant effect, but that it was not universal. A factor analysis has shown that perceived characteristics of switch haptics can be explained by three independent factors defined as ‘Image’, ‘Build Quality’, and ‘Clickiness’. Preliminary steps have also been taken towards identifying whether existing theoretical frameworks for user experience may be applicable to automotive human–machine interfaces. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This work discusses a number of aspects related to glycerin-related production, market, and application in commercial products. Three main qualities of commercial glycerin are evaluated: raw glycerin (80-88 wt %), technical grade glycerin (98 wt %), and refined glycerin (USP or FCC, 99.7 wt %). Purification schemes for each glycerin quality are simulated. This study shows that, after purification process, it is possible to obtain methanol at 99 wt %, which can be recycled for biodiesel production. Simulation results show that the purifying glycerin to obtain different levels of purity can be economically feasible, and that market quality specifications can be reached as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the challenges encountered by manufacturers and retailers in launching a new product into the market. It says that one of the big challenges that the supply chain team needs to consider is forecasting for new product introductions (NPIs). It also describes several approaches to Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) including defining the business case and the product opportunity, analyzing system design, and validating designs.

The article discusses the characteristics of new product forecasting strategy and management that manufacturers and retailers need to consider to achieve desired results. It provides a basic characterization depicting new product forecasting across the dimensions of analytics, behavior and strategy. It mentions the importance of metrics for evaluating forecasting performance.

The article discusses a strategy in new product forecasting called the Relative Indexation Method following the launch of the product. It explains the initial step in calculating the relative index. It mentions that this approach can help in developing a life cycle curve based on the second month of indexing. Several charts are presented depicting the calculation of Relative Indexation Method.

The article discusses the two types of new product marketing models which are the Trial-Repeat Rate Model and the Everett Rogers Diffusion Model and explains how they can be used in new product forecasting that supports new marketing decision-making. It mentions that these marketing models are intended to improve sales performance of new products by taking into consideration the four Ps, which include price, promotion, place and product. The appropriate applications of the models are discussed.

The article offers strategies for consumer goods manufacturers and retailers on how to approach new product forecasting (NPF) using structured analogy. The different approaches to NPF mentioned in the article include executive opinion, sales force rollup and prediction of market price. It claims that forecasting by structured analogy is based on the premise that demand for a new product will be similar to that of related items of the past.

The article explores different product life cycle growth models, which are based on the analog products, used in the pharmaceutical industry. It states that the first step in new product forecasting is preparation in terms of finding information related to the new product. It recommends that a manufacturer should find analog products that are related to the one it will launch. It also offers tips on how to model the life cycle growth curve after determining the analogs to be used.

Designers often attempt to find preferences that users have for products and their attributes. Applying theory from behavioural psychology, we demonstrate that product preferences are not 'found' in people, but rather constructed by people on an as-needed basis. The demonstration explores the relationship between crux product attributes, which are both important and difficult for people to assess, and sentinel attributes, which are easy to assess and have a perceived association with a crux attribute. A relationship between crux and sentinel attributes is proposed, supported by the results of a case study involving design of paper towels, where a discrete choice survey is analysed using a new technique called the full factorial marketplace. We generalise our approach to a constructed preferences design method that can be used to identify crux/sentinel relationships between product attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a fresh examination of claims that biotechnology and other high profile areas of scientific research and development create a "virtuous cycle" that delivers benefits to society and ecology through an array of consumer products. Specifically, the article investigates who and what has agency in this virtuous cycle and who and what does not. I argue that official discourses on and definitions of biotechnology create strict demarcations not only on who can act in relation to biotechnology research development options, but also on where and at which stages of the virtuous cycle these agents can act. For example, scientists are presented as passive rather than active agents whose influence is limited to the laboratory context despite rhetorical use of their identity and credibility across all contexts of product development and consumption explored. Agency is highly significant in biotechnology and other areas of scientific advance because it determines who or what has moral decision making power regarding the place of new technologies in society. The article concludes with a discussion of the social and ethical impacts of these demarcations of agency in biotechnology's virtuous cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown that products and services developed with increased usability and accessibility for the elderly and those with disabilities benefit users in general. Where or when some people are excluded from using a product or service, many more are likely to simply find it difficult or frustrating to use. To guide developers (designers, product developers and architects) in creating more useful mainstream products and more accessible public environments, seven principles of Universal Design (UD) were proposed in 1997. These principles, however, have not been successfully adopted by professionals and companies in general. Companies are, in fact, losing out on increased sales by refusing to see the permanently disabled (about 15% of the population in the western world) as potential customers – a figure that is set to increase due to demographic development. From a review of literature, studies of Product Development (PD) models and the author's research into PD projects, several factors have been identified that explain what inhibits companies from implementing UD principles in their design work. A conclusion made in the paper is that the traditional PD models that guide the development processes in most companies today cannot conform to UD, as the presence of user intervention is lacking. One reason for this is the opinion that it does not shorten development time. A nother is the focus on production-efficiency, which inhibit flexibility and user intervention. In addition, former research highlights other barriers, such as: lack of time, budget limitations, and lack of knowledge, tools or justifiable business case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, different aspects of the development of universally designed (UD) products have been highlighted, and two different product development projects have been compared, in order to try to analyse the challenges companies face when they engage in creating UD solutions compared to the development of assistive technology and modular based solutions. Some conclusions have been drawn: The time before reaching break-even in the project whose purpose it was to create a universal design solution, was many times longer, due to the unstable and complex development circumstances. When time-to-market is longer and project costs are higher for universally designed products compared to modular systems (often represented by assistive technology) or mainstream technology products, there are limited commercial reasons to invest in universally designed solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MAJOR EXPENSE CATEGORY FOR AUTOMAKERS IS THE BUILDING OF PROTOTYPES FOR NEW VEHICLE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ON A YEARLY BASIS. A LARGE AUTOMAKER WITH MANY PRODUCT LINES COULD SPEND INTO THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR ON THOUSANDS OF PROTOTYPES. USING THE PROTOTYPE ECONOMIC ORDER QUANTITY (PEOQ) APPROACH CAN PROVIDE A MEANS OF REDUCING THIS EXPENSE BY AS MUCH AS 40% WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY, SAFETY, OR RELIABILITY WHILE, AT THE SAME TIME, SHORTENING THE TIME NEEDED FOR NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]