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The therapeutic options for preventing or slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been thus far limited. While angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are, without a doubt, safe and effective drugs, a significant proportion of patients with CKD still progress to end-stage kidney disease. After decades of negative trials, nephrologists have finally found cause for optimism with the introduction of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs). Recent trials such as EMPA-REG OUTCOME and CREDENCE have provided evidence of the renal benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors, which have now found widespread acceptance as first-line agents for diabetic CKD, in addition to ACEi/ARBs. Considering results from the DAPA-CKD study, it is expected that their use will soon be expanded to other causes of albuminuric CKD as well, although confirmation from further trials, such as the EMPA-KIDNEY study is awaited. Likewise, although the role of mineralocorticoid receptor overactivation in CKD progression has been known for decades, it is only now with the FIDELIO-DKD study that we have evidence of benefits of MRAs on hard renal endpoints, specifically in patients with diabetic CKD. While further research is ongoing, given the evidence of synergism between the three drug classes, it is foreseeable that a combination of two or more of these drugs may soon become the standard of care for CKD, regardless of underlying aetiology. This review describes pathophysiologic mechanisms, current evidence and future perspectives on the use of SGLT2 inhibitors and novel MRAs in CKD.

In recent years, many urban areas have established healthcare coalitions composed of autonomous (and often competing) hospitals, with the goal of improving emergency preparedness and response. We study the role of such coalitions in the specific context of response to multiple-casualty incidents in an urban setting, where on-scene responders must determine how to send casualties to medical facilities. A key function in incident response is multi-agency coordination. When this coordination is provided by a healthcare coalition, responders can use richer information about hospital capacities to decide where to send casualties. Using bed availability data from an urban area and a suburban area in the United States, we analyze the response capability of healthcare infrastructures under different levels of coordination, and we develop a stress test to identify areas of weakness. We find that improved coordination efforts should focus on decision support using information about inpatient resources, especially in urban areas with high inter-hospital variability in resource availability. We also find that coordination has the largest benefit in small incidents. This benefit is a new value proposition for healthcare coalitions, which were originally formed to improve preparedness for large disasters. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Successful collaboration between new product development (NPD) teams maintained by competitors (so-called horizontal NPD collaboration) requires the use of formal modes of management control that simultaneously coordinate the teams' interdependent development activities and encourage their cooperative behavior. Nevertheless, prior theoretical and empirical research suggests that formal control modes required to improve coordination may also drive uncooperative, opportunistic behavior. To help managers in horizontal NPD collaborations select appropriate control modes, this study draws on organizational theory of management control and develops a conceptual framework that specifies the impact of one partner's use of input, process, and output controls on the other partner's perception of coordination effectiveness and cooperative behavior. The results of a scenario-based experiment with 110 expert practitioners show that managers perceive the competitor's use of input control as harmful and process control as helpful for achieving coordination effectiveness. Moreover, managers respond positively to the competitor's use of input control and negatively to the competitor's use of output control when it comes to cooperative behavior. Together, the results indicate that no single mode of formal management control simultaneously enhances both coordination and cooperative behavior in horizontal NPD collaborations.

In this paper a new algorithm is presented to calculate the poles and zeros to approximate a fractional order (FO) differintegral (s±α,α∈(0,1)) by a rational function on a finite frequency band ω∈(ωl,ωh). The constant phase property of the FO differintegral is the basis for development of the algorithm. Interlacing of real poles and zeros is used to achieve the constant phase. The calculations are done using the asymptotic Bode phase plot. A brief investigation is made to get a good approximation for the Bode phase plot. Two design parameters are introduced to keep the average phase close to the desired phase angle and to keep the error within the allowed bounds. A study is done to empirically understand the relationship between the error and the design parameters. The results thus obtained help in the further calculations. The algorithm is computationally simple and inexpensive, and gives a fairly good approximation of fractance frequency response on the specified frequency band.

Understanding the polymerization mechanism of a precursor is indispensable to enhance the requisite material properties. In situ mass spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used in this study to understand the RF plasma polymerization of γ-terpinene. High-resolution mass spectra positive ion mass spectrometry data of the plasma phase demonstrates the presence of oligomeric species of the type [M+H]+ and [2M+H]+, where M represents a unit of the starting material. In addition, there is abundant fragmented species, with most dominant being [M+] (136 m/z), C10H13+ (133 m/z), C9H11+ (119 m/z), and C7H9+ (93 m/z). The results reported in this manuscript enables to comprehend the relationship between the degree of incorporation of oxygen and the rate of deposition with the input RF power.

Plasma polymerized c-terpinene (pp2GT) thin films are fabricated using RF plasma polymerization. MIM structures are fabricated and using the capacitive structures dielectric properties of the material is studied. The dielectric constant values are found to be in good agreement with those determined from ellipsometric data. At a frequency of 100 kHz, the dielectric constant varies with RF deposition power, from 3.69 (10 W) to 3.24 (75 W). The current density–voltage (J2V) characteristics of pp–GT thin films are investigated as a function of RF deposition power at room temperature to determine the resistivity and DC conduction mechanism of the films. At higher applied voltage region, Schottky conduction is the dominant DC conduction mechanism. The capacitance and the loss tangent are found to be frequency dependent. The conductivity of the pp2GT thin films is found to decrease from 1.39 3 10212 S/cm (10 W) to 1.02 3 10213 S/cm (75 W) and attributed to the change in the chemical composition and structure of the polymer. The breakdown field for pp–GT thin films increases from 1.48 MV/cm (10 W) to 2 MV/cm (75 W). A single broad relaxation peak is observed indicating the contribution of multiple relaxations to the dielectric response for temperature dependent J2V. The distribution of these relaxation times is determined through regularization methods. VC 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42318.

We investigate relationships between operational capabilities and new venture survival. On the basis of operations management and entrepreneurship literature, we develop a contingency framework of operational capabilities especially appropriate at different life phases of a new venture's evolution. We expect that in the first years of a new venture's life, entrepreneurs should emphasize high inventory turnover to preserve working capital, support customer responsiveness, and aid firm adaptability. As new ventures grow, entrepreneurs should emphasize internal working capital generation via larger gross margins to support production ramp-up. Later, new venture entrepreneurs should emphasize employee productivity to buttress sustainable volume production. We analyze a 6-year longitudinal sample of 812 Swedish manufacturing new ventures using a gamma frailty-based Cox regression. The findings show that specific operational capabilities, while always supporting new venture survival, have exceptional influence in specific new venture life phases. The three hypotheses are confirmed, suggesting that higher inventory turnover, gross margin, and employee productivity further increase new venture survival likelihoods, respectively, in the venture's start-up, growth, and stability phases. This suggests a phased-capabilities approach to new venture survival. This study contributes to operations management and entrepreneurship theory and practice, and sets a foundation for future research on operations strategy for new ventures.

Biomedical research enterprises require a large number of core facilities and resources to supply the infrastructure necessary for translational research. Maintaining the financial viability and promoting efficiency in an academic environment can be particularly challenging for medical schools and universities. The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute sought to improve core and service programs through a partnership with the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. The program paired teams of Masters of Business Administration students with cores and programs that self-identified the need for assistance in project management, financial management, marketing, or resource efficiency. The projects were developed by CTSI project managers and business school faculty using service-learning principles to ensure learning for students who also received course credit for their participation. With three years of experience, the program demonstrates a successful partnership that improves clinical research infrastructure by promoting business best practices and providing a valued learning experience for business students.

This study aimed to produce graphitic-polymer nanocomposite thin films via the swift heavy ion irradiation of polyterpenol thin films synthesized from an environmentally sustainable precursor by radio-frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed fluence-dependent surface restructuring of the thin films leading to the formation of interconnected island structures, with no discernible delamination from the underlying aluminum substrate. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the development of D and G peaks associated with graphitic materials, whilst Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated retention of the plasma polymer's chemical functionalities (including hydroxyl groups) within the material after irradiation. Graphitic-polymer nanocomposite films prepared by this dry and solvent-free process have numerous potential applications in biological assay, organic electronics, and membrane technology. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46498.

The Sr2ZnSi2O7 ceramics sintered at 1475°C has ɛr=8.5, Qu×f=105,000 GHz (at 12.63 GHz), and τf=−51.5 ppm/°C. The sintering temperature of Sr2ZnSi2O7 has been lowered to 875°C by the addition of 20Li2O–20MgO–20ZnO–20B2O3–20SiO2 (LMZBS) glass. Addition of a small amount of SrTiO3 lowered the value of τf. Tapes were cast using the composition Sr2ZnSi2O7+15 wt% LMZBS. The stacked and sintered tapes exhibited ɛr∼7 and tan δ∼10−3 at 290 K. The chemical compatibility of Ag with the ceramic–glass composites was also investigated.

Integration and implementation of organic polymer thin films often require knowledge of the stability when in contact with solvents and the adhesion quality when applied to different substrates. This article describes the solubility and adhesion characteristics of organic polymer thin films produced from Lavandula angustifolia essential oil, using radio frequency plasma polymerization at four RF power levels. Contact angle data was obtained for various solvents and used to determine the surface tension values for the polymer by using three established methods. A relatively strong electron–donor component and a negligible electronic acceptor component for the polymers indicate that they are monopolar in nature. Solubility data derived from interfacial tension values suggest that the polymers would resist solubilization from the solvents explored. The strongest solvophobic response was assigned to water, whereas diiodomethane demonstrated the weakest solvophobic response, with ΔG121 > 0 in some instances depending on the surface tension values used. The adhesion tests of the polymers deposited on glass, PET, and PS indicated that the adhesion quality of the thin film improved with RF power, and it was associated with an improvement in interfacial bonding.

This research develops a conceptual model for predicting success of process improvement projects as a result of knowledge-creation practices employed in the projects. The model is empirically examined in the context of Six Sigma black belt projects. New scales are developed to measure explicit- and tacit-knowledge-creation practices in process improvement. Data is gathered via a cross-sectional sample, and the hypotheses are tested using hierarchical regression. Our results support the notion that knowledge-creation practices influence the success of process improvement projects. Specifically, the inclusion of softer, people-oriented practices for capturing tacit knowledge explains a significant amount of variance in project success, as much as the more analytically focused practices that capture explicit knowledge. This research offers practical insights about the influence of practices that project managers use to create new knowledge by capturing explicit and tacit knowledge, and seeks to advance theoretical understanding of process improvement.

Polymer thin films derived from the essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia (LA) are fabricated using plasma polymerization, and their surface and chemical characteristics investigated. The surface morphology of the polyLA films is examined using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The polymer is found to be uniform and pinhole free, and the average roughness of the films is found to be less than a nanometer and independent of the RF power employed during fabrication. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis of the polyLA film is performed. Comparison of the FTIR spectra for polyLA film with that of the starting monomer demonstrates that many of the original functional groups are retained during the polymerization process. Bands assigned to CC stretching are lost due to their participation in the polymerization reactions. With increased RF power employed during fabrication, a decrease in intensity of most of the remaining bands in the FTIR spectra for the polyLA films is found. This is attributed to reactions such as dehydration of hydroxyl, cyclization, and aromatization associated with alkenes. In addition, it is found that the duration of exposure to UV irradiation and ion bombardment has an insignificant effect on the chemical structure of the polyLA film. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of the polymer fabricated at low RF power reveals the presence of aromatics in the chemical structure. Water contact angle measurements demonstrate that the polyLA films range from mildly hydrophilic to mildly hydrophobic, and are stable while in contact with water.

We examine the content of continuous improvement strategies and identify infrastructure decision areas that are important for continuous improvement initiatives. We present a framework of infrastructure based on the idea that continuous improvement can serve as a dynamic capability when it includes a comprehensive organizational context. Further, we study continuous improvement initiatives in five companies to investigate the practices used by them in each of the decision areas of our framework. This research adds to the conceptual understanding of continuous improvement and results in grounded propositions about critical areas of infrastructure for continuous improvement.

The indiscriminate nature of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology creates unique privacy issues. Currently privacy standards for the type of information gathered through RFID and the use of that information do not exist. With few exceptions, compatible readers may legally access from a remote location RFID devices and the information these devices contain. After gathering information, the legal uses of that information are innumerable in terms of aggregation and re-use.

The effect of CuO on the sintering temperature, microstructure, and the microwave dielectric properties of (Zr0.8Sn0.2)TiO4 (ZST) has been investigated. The microwave dielectric properties of the ZST ceramics have been measured at cryogenic temperatures (15–290 K). The crystallite sizes of the sintered ZST ceramics are in the 30–50-nm range. The addition of CuO effectively reduced the sintering temperature to 1300°C due to the liquid-phase effects. The addition of CuO did not cause any secondary phases up to 1.5 wt% of CuO. It is found that the quality factor (Q) of the sample without CuO decreased with an increase in temperature, whereas the samples with the addition of CuO up to 1.0 wt% showed less dependence on temperature at cryogenic temperatures. The microwave dielectric properties of the ZST ceramics measured at cryogenic temperatures exhibited a Q factor of 15 000 for pure ZST and 11 800 for ZST with 0.5 wt% of CuO at 15 K. The increase in Q factor at cryogenic temperatures can be attributed to the reduction in both intrinsic and extrinsic losses in the ZST ceramics.

The usual analysis of quantal response data occurring in diverse fields such as economics, medicine, psychology and toxicology use probit and logit models or their extensions with generalized least squares or the principle of likelihood as the method of statistical inference. The symmetric alternative models lead to practically comparable results and the choice of model or method is determined by considerations of familiarity and computational convenience. Recent attempts at improvement involve larger parametric families of tolerance distributions and employ the method of maximum likelihood in analysis. In this paper we consider models with the tolerance distributions based upon the Tukey-lambda distributions which are described in terms of their quantile functions. The likelihood methods for fitting the models and testing their adequacies are developed and illustrated using classical data due to BLISS (1935) and ASHFORD and SMITH (1964).

Strategies that confine antibacterial and/or antifouling property to the surface of the implant, by modifying the surface chemistry and morphology or by encapsulating the material in an antibiotic-loaded coating, are most promising as they do not alter bulk integrity of the material. Among them, plasma-assisted modification and catechol chemistry stand out for their ability to modify a wide range of substrates. By controlling processing parameters, plasma environment can be used for surface nano structuring, chemical activation, and deposition of biologically active and passive coatings. Catechol chemistry can be used for material-independent, highly-controlled surface immobilisation of active molecules and fabrication of biodegradable drug-loaded hydrogel coatings. In this article, we comprehensively review the role plasma-assisted processing and catechol chemistry can play in combating bacterial colonisation on medically relevant coatings, and how these strategies can be coupled with the use of natural antimicrobial agents to produce synthetic antibiotic-free antibacterial surfaces.

A simple method for the design of ultra-wideband antennas in planar format is presented. This method is demonstrated for a high-dielectric-constant substrate material, which allows for a considerable antenna size reduction. Simulations are performed using Ansoft's High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) for antennas assuming DuPont951 (er = 7.8) and RT6010LM (er = 10.2) substrates. For the 1-mm-thick DuPont951, the designed antenna with 22 X 28 mm dimensions features a 10-dB return-loss bandwidth from 2.7 GHz to more than 15 GHz. For the 0.64-mm-thick RT6010LM a 20 X 26 mm antenna exhibits a 10-dB return loss bandwidth from 3.1 to 15 GHz. Both antennas feature nearly omnidirectional properties across the whole 10-dB return-loss bandwidth. The validity of the presented UWB antenna design strategy is confirmed by measurements performed on a prototype developed on RT6010LM substrate.

This paper investigates behavioral factors influencing a supply manager’s decision to insource or outsource the manufacture of a product component. To do so we posit a theoretical framework that integrates the heretofore distinct operational make‐buy literature and the behavioral decision-making literature. Within the framework three factors influencing the make‐buy decision are brought into account: the decision-maker’s perception of supply risk or ‘‘strategic vulnerability’’, the degree of core competency represented by the product component under consideration and the formality of the information about supply alternatives. The results of a controlled experimental survey show that: strategic vulnerability and core competency do influence the make‐buy decision, strategic vulnerability has greater influence than core competency and information formality moderates the make‐buy decision when the strategic vulnerability and core competency conditions are mixed. The practical implications of these results include the notion that management can ensure a more rational make‐buy decision if they understand the biases that influence the decision and point these biases out to the decision maker. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This article addresses the transfer of new product technologies from outside the firm for integration into a new product system as part of a product development effort. Product technology transfer is a key activity in the complex process of new product development and is the fundamental link in the technology supply chain. Product technology transfer too often is dealt with in an ad-hoc fashion. Purposeful management of the product technology transfer process leads to more effective transfers in terms of timeliness, cost, functional performance, and competence building. Better management of product technology transfer gives firms access to a greater variety of new technology options, improves a firm’s ability to offer significantly differentiated products, deepens the firm’s competitive competencies, and positively influences sustained product development success. The central objective of this article is to gain insight into product technology transfer so that companies can manage this process more successfully and so that researchers can investigate this critical activity further. This article describes the technology supply chain as a unique form of a supply chain that poses a set of managerial challenges and requirements distinguishing it from the more traditional component supply chain. Because a single product technology transfer project is the fundamental piece in the technology supply chain, understanding this piece well is key to leveraging the extended technology supply chain and to improving overall product development performance. This article integrates literatures on new product development, supply chain management, and technology management and builds on organizational theory to present a conceptual model of determinants of product technology transfer success. The core proposition is that product technology transfer effectiveness is greatest when companies carefully match (or ‘‘fit’’) the type of technology to be transferred (the ‘‘technology uncertainty’’) with the type of relationship between the technology supplier and recipient (the ‘‘interorganizational interaction’’). A quite detailed framework characterizing technology uncertainty along the dimensions of technology novelty, complexity, and tacitness is presented to help in assessing the challenges associated with transferring a particular product technology. This article also considers detailed elements characterizing the interorganizational interactions between the technology source and recipient firms. This helps firms consider the appropriate means to facilitate the interfirm process of technology transfer. Overall, this article provides practical insight into characterizing technologies and into improving the product technology transfer process. This article also provides a strong theoretical foundation to aid future research on product technology transfer in the technology supply chain.

The management of new service development (NSD) has become an important competitive concern in many service industries. However, NSD remains among the least studied and understood topics in the service management literature. As a result, our current understanding of the critical resources and activities to develop new services is inadequate given NSD’s importance as a service competitiveness driver. Until recently, the generally accepted principle behind NSD was that “new services happen” rather than occurring through formal development processes. Recent efforts to address this debate have been inconclusive. Thus, additional research is needed to validate or discredit the belief that new services happen as a result of intuition, flair, and luck. Relying upon the general distinctions between research exploitation and exploration, this paper describes areas in NSD research that deserve further leveraging and refinement (i.e. exploitation) and identifies areas requiring discovery or new study (i.e. exploration). We discuss the critical substantive and research design issues facing NSD scholars such as defining new services, choice in focusing on the NSD process or performance (or both), and specification of unit of analysis. We also examine what can be exploited from the study of new product development to further understanding of NSD. Finally, we explore one important area for future NSD research exploration: the impact of the Internet on the design and development of services. We offer research opportunities and research challenges in the study of NSD throughout the paper.

Polymers derived from natural, minimally-processed materials have recently emerged as a more sustainable alternative to synthetic polymers, with promising applications in biocompatible and biodegradable devices. Plasma-enhanced deposition is well-suited to one-step, fast, and efficient synthesis of highly crosslinked inert polymers directly from natural resources, however, fabrication of biologically active polymers remains a challenge. Plasma processing parameters influence the properties such as surface energy, roughness, morphology, and chemical composition of deposited polymers and thus their final applications. This article reports on the important role of substrate temperature (T-S) in the chemical composition, wettability, refractive index, and crosslinking density of plasma polymers derived from terpenoids. Experiments are conducted as a function of deposition power P-d, and substrate temperature, T-S. T-S varied from 40 to 280 degrees C and is externally controlled. Atomic force microscopy analysis reveals the change in deposition mechanism attributed to shadowing effect at higher T-S and P-d. Increase in band gap (E-g) with high T-S deposition for terpenoid based plasma polymers is observed. Swelling behavior analyzed by in situ ellipsometry affirms the enhanced crosslink density with increasing deposition rate. Fourier transform infrared analysis exhibits the formation of additional chemical moieties with increasing T-S. Increase in deposition rate with increasing T-S at higher P-d supports the theory of direct incorporation of depositing particles as dominant mechanism of plasma polymerization in this study.

Background: A part of the mechanism of the gastrointestinal toxicity exhibited by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is believed to involve the uncoupling of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Most previous uncoupling studies have used rat liver mitochondria. There is little information on the effects of the drugs on mitochondria from other species. Aim: To study the effect of indometacin on isolated liver mitochondria from rats, mice and humans. Methods: We studied the effects of indometacin on respiration and adenosine triphosphate synthesis by isolated liver mitochondria from rats, mice and humans. Its effects were compared with those of dinitrophenol, a classical uncoupler. Results: Indometacin uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation at low concentrations (P

The purpose of this study is to compare the profile of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients who receive abciximab versus eptifibatide, as well as to compare the effect of abciximab versus eptifibatide on hospital length of stay. Retrospective data were obtained from HCIA's Clinical Pathways Database on 5,446 coronary angioplasty patients who were administered either abciximab or eptifibatide. Estimation was conducted via a two-stage sample selection model. In the first stage, a probit regression was employed to determine which factors were associated with a higher probability of being administered abciximab versus eptifibatide. In the second stage, a negative binomial model was used to estimate the impact of a wide range of factors (selection of GPIIb/IIIa, patient demographics, insurance provider, health conditions, admission information, and hospital characteristics) on total hospital length of stay, as well as on postprocedural length of stay. After controlling for high-risk indications and other sources of selection bias, results indicate that receipt of abciximab was associated with a significantly shorter length of total hospital stay (0.83 fewer days; P < 0.001) than receipt of eptifibatide. Additionally, receipt of abciximab was found to be associated with a significantly shorter postprocedural hospital length of stay (0.48 fewer days; P = 0.002) compared to receipt of eptifibatide. Results of this study indicate that PCI patients who are administered abciximab versus eptifibatide have a significantly shorter length of hospital stay (both total and postprocedural). This finding is important since hospital length of stay reflects the occurrence of complications and has been found to be directly related to the resources consumed during in-patient management of patients. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;53:296–303. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.

This paper develops a conceptual typology of inward technology transfer (ITT), which explicitly considers technology transfer at the project, rather than the firm, level of analysis. Building on extant technology management literature and the organizational theories of information processing and interdependence, we carefully characterize the three dimensions of the typology: the technology uncertainty of the technology that is transferred, the organizational interaction between the technology source and recipient, and transfer effectiveness. Appropriate matches of technology uncertainty and organizational interaction result in four archetypal cases called “transfer process types”, which represent the most effective approaches to technology transfer. Real-life examples of effective and ineffective matches are presented, and implications of the typology for future research and practice are discussed.

This paper investigates project management methods used during the execution phase of new product development projects. Based on prior field observations, organizational theory and product development literature, we pose hypotheses regarding the effectiveness of the project execution methods of formality, project management autonomy and resource flexibility. A cross-sectional survey sample of 120 completed new product development projects from a variety of assembled products industries is analyzed via hierarchical moderated regression. We find that the project execution methods are positively associated with project execution success. Further, these methods are effective singly and collectively, suggesting that firms can “balance firmness and flexibility” in product development via appropriate execution methods. Surprisingly, the effectiveness of these methods is not contingent on the product or process technology novelty inherent in a given development project. The findings suggest that firms should adopt high levels of these approaches, and that a variety of projects can be managed using broadly similar project execution methods. The findings also suggest limitations on the application of organizational information processing theory to the context of product development projects. Directions for additional theory development are outlined.

Many firms now realize the importance of planning product families and product platforms. However, little research addresses planning and execution of different types of projects within a product family platform series. This study investigates project characteristics, development challenges, typical outcomes, and success factors for product development projects at different locations in the product family spectrum. “Platform” projects result in products that initiate a new product family platform for a company. “Derivative” projects result in products consisting of extensions to an existing product family platform. Data on 108 new product development projects from a variety of assembled products industries were collected via a detailed survey and analyzed. Findings indicate that: (1) platform and derivative projects differ in project task characteristics (including the amount of new technology development undertaken and project complexity) and market newness; (2) platform and derivative projects generally do not differ in terms of project success (achievement of project objectives, level of company satisfaction, and perceived customer satisfaction) or smoothness of project execution; (3) both platform and derivative projects generally are executed in similar ways; (4) certain managerial approaches (including contingency planning, project-based evaluation of personnel, and overlap of design and manufacturing engineering) are associated with higher project execution success for both platform and derivative projects; and (5) use of interdependent technologies and novel project objectives are associated with project execution failure for platform projects. The results suggest that firms can continue to employ a single product development management process for both platform and derivative projects, as long as modest customization of the process is made for the given project type. Completely different management processes are not required. In all, the results presented in this article suggest specific managerial actions companies can take to significantly improve product development success.