What’s the R&D process?

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The research and development (R&D) process is a process in which new products are developed. Manufacturers of everything from pharmaceuticals to personal computers use this process to identify new ideas, take those ideas through development, and finally release them onto the open market for sale. The research and development process can take months or years, with input from numerous company employees with different areas of interest and skill sets.

The research and development process begins with the promotion of ideas. Employees can meet to brainstorm, discuss various issues in their field and products that could be used to address particular areas of need or concern. Generally, a large field of ideas is generated and staff start sifting through to identify ideas with potential that should be explored further. This may include researching existing products and technologies, to determine how feasible an idea is, whether the idea is original, and how well it may be received.

As researchers narrow down the ideas suggested during the first stage, they can also conduct market research to find out how well an idea will be accepted by the public or potential customers. Using this information, ideas with potential are identified and the R&D process moves to the next stage, which involves realizing those ideas. At this point, product developers begin to understand how the idea can be executed and work on prototypes. As the R&D process continues, the prototypes become more and more sophisticated and designers start thinking about issues like mass production, identifying problems with the prototype, and so on.

With anything approaching a final product, the R&D process kicks off. Company subsidiaries interested in regulatory issues begin to explore regulations that could impact the product and tests that the product may need to pass in order to be sold, such as pharmaceutical products that need to undergo clinical trials. The advertising departments, meanwhile, start thinking about advertising campaigns, branding and product naming so that the company can experience a successful product launch. The company also thinks about issues like pricing, distribution, and so on.

The culmination of the R&D process ideally involves introducing a product to the public. However, many roadblocks can be encountered along the way; ideas can be carried far enough through development before being abandoned, and many ideas are quickly cut early in the process. Most companies want to encourage innovation in R&D, so they support employee input at all stages of the process, assuming everyone can come up with a good idea that will benefit the company.

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