What it's all about...

Product Development is the integration of a wide range of disciplines, working in close collaboration to produce goods that answer a need of society. Because of this wide variety of disciplines, it is essential to have not only a team that covers these areas of expertise, but also the management processes to integrate them all seamlessly.

McKinsey & Co (1996, 2000) have found that high-tech products that come to market six months late but on budget will earn 33% less profit over 5 years. In contrast, coming out on time and 50% over budget cuts profit by only 4%. Getting to market a month earlier improves profits an average 3.1%. Beating the competition by six months improves profits by nearly 12%.

The above statistics illustrate clearly that time to market is gradually becoming a determining factor in the success of products. It is for these reasons that the AUT center for Rapid Product Development is investigating a wide range of methodologies and technologies that will allow products to be developed faster. Some of the areas being researched through the Centre include:

• Management of the PD process from concept to manufacturing
• Management tools and techniques for stimulating/ controlling innovation
• Human centered Design (HCD)
• Usability testing
• Experiential Design
• Product Development Management software
• Rapid Prototype as Design methodology
• Better ways of using various prototyping technologies
• New methods and technologies for rapid prototyping and rapid manufacture
• Reverse Engineering Methods
• Rapid Electronic Prototyping
• Rapid Software Prototyping
• CAD/CAM/CAE

Participating Members

The AUT University Centre for Rapid Product Development has active participants from a variety of disciplines.
These participants currently include:

• Director of center: Dr. Sarat Singamneni, School of Engineering, Auckland University of Technology, Sarat Singamneni's Website
• Prof. Olaf Diegel, Creative Industries Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology, Olaf Diegel's Website
• Prof. Darius Singh, School of Engineering, Auckland University of Technology, Darius Singh's Website
• Prof. Thomas Neitzert, School of Engineering, Auckland University of Technology, Thomas Neitzert's Website
• Prof. Leong Yap, School of Art and Design, Auckland University of Technology
• Andrew Withell, School of Art and Design, Auckland University of Technology
• James Charlton, School of Art and Design, Auckland University of Technology
• Elvon Young, School of Art and Design, Auckland University of Technology
• Dr. Johan Potgieter, Massey University, Institute of Technology and Engineering, Albany, mechatronics.massey.ac.nz/jpotgiet.html

If you are interested in becoming a member, please send us an e-mail and let us know how you would like to contribute.