Product Development: The Case of an OEM

The case highlights about the product development initiatives undertaken by an OEM for its brake lining components, spares and parts business in order to re-design and align the products to the brake unit. The OEM focused upon compact design orientation and emphasized multi-utility spare development to reduce the number of spares and parts required in the brake unit and allow the design compactness to reduce the bulge of the brake unit. Initially the market response favoured the company but then immediately sales begin to decline. The company appointed experts to probe into the matter for identification of cause and antidote. The aim of the paper in the wake of the situation is to seek what product development is not about. The paper concludes with an end note that product development can not be mistaken for compactness, design or the technology solely.