R&D Project Management Body of Knowledge (RPMBOK)

Traditionally, the majority of companies rely on past experience in product development management. They do not have a complete set of comprehensive management process or management methods and a small number of companies that might have adopted certain techniques, have merely placed the emphasis on fragmented technology and applications. This type of product development method could perhaps make do by responding to the market demands in an era of regional competition. Yet with the present day’s global competition, a company, when looking to introduce the best products at the fastest rate, would need to reply on a comprehensive R&D system and management model. Especially when product R&D contains high levels of uncertainty and cannot be explored aimlessly, it would only make the vision of launching competitive products rather far-fetched. Because R&D personnel are professional and independent, a company that lacks a comprehensive internal R&D management framework for integrating all participants’ thinking and behavior can easily turn the R&D process into something that merely resolves communication and coordination problems, rather than one that improves the overall strength of the R&D team.