Developing a new product can be a very challenging undertaking. Not only does one have to produce a product that addresses a market concern and functions the way it claims to, they also have to successfully market and promote the product to their target market.
It is likely that at some point in the development cycle a product developer will need to enlist outside help. Here we will go over the situations in which it is most likely that one will need outside help when developing new products.
Materials Development: It is very common that during the development of a new product a novel type of material or technology will need to be created to develop the conceptualized product. This can be anything from a particular type of plastic with specific properties or an aluminum alloy with a specific tensile strength. The type of knowledge and expertise for such things is very specific and, commonly, an r&d lab will need to be hired in order to complete this task.
Software Development: The fact that so many software development firms exist is a testament to how important software has become in the development of new products. Even if the product itself does not require any computing parts, some type of proprietary in house system will likely need to be developed to manage sales, inventory, logistics, etc.
The software development world can be very confusing as so many different technologies exist. Between front end systems, logic systems, and server-side technologies it can be very difficult to know exactly what an organization needs. Even if the organization chooses to go with a ready-made third-party system, it still may be difficult to choose which one; hiring a software consultant is something almost all development firms do at one point or another.
Research and Development: During the R&D process a product idea is combined with any novel materials or technologies to create a functional prototype. Many large development companies have their own R&D departments simply because their economic situation allows for it. For smaller development firms it is almost inevitable that they will be required to hire some outside help at this stage. R&D requires not only the expertise but also access to equipment and machinery that smaller companies simply do not have access to.
Market Research and Marketing: Market research requires a specific set of skills very much different than those required for product development. Like software development firms, many marketing and market research companies exist simply for the fact that it is such a necessary skill that not many possess. Even if the r&d process develops a product that does what it is supposed to do there are still many questions left to be answered. What is the best way to market the product? How exactly does one reach the target audience? How much is the target audience willing to pay? These are all questions that need to be answered before a product is put on the market. Almost all product developers enlist outside help in this area at some point.