Essay onTiger Team for Development of New Product

            Recently the organization has decided to develop a new generation of diesel electric locomotive engine. In order to develop a new product a whole team of experts is required who will carry out all the activities which are included in product development. The tiger team will be formed which includes experts which have necessary skills and experience. Developing a new product requires a lot of Research & development work therefore tiger team would be appropriate for this project. Our tiger team will based on certain principals and will work to provide the best product to the customers. All the duties & responsibilities of team members will be provided to the team members to insure high team performance. (Campbell, Edgar and Stonehouse 2011)

    The leader of the tiger team will have to evaluate the strengths & weaknesses of the team so that the team can be managed accurately. The major strength of the team is that it include experts of various fields. The team will include engineers, technology experts and other product design specialists for the development of the new product. The team will be rich in diversity which means lot of unique ideas will be generated in the team. The weaknesses of the team will include communication issues and difference of opinion which will have to be consider while taking major decisions (Benson and Bugnitz 2004).

        As discussed earlier the individuals which are experts in product design and technology will be recruited in the team. The organization will prefer those experts which are already working within the organization to reduce recruitment cost. If more experts will be required than the team leader will recruit after consulting with the top management of the corporation.

Product Development Process

    The first step of the product development process is the formation of idea. It means that the experts in the team will perform brain storming to come up with innovative idea that will make the product useful for the people. In launching a new product it is important to provide latest features to differentiate the product from the already available product in the market (Spender 2014). In the development of the idea various things are kept in mind so that a new product can be developed. Extensive research has been carried out to improve the product and come up with new generation that has more innovative features.

        After the formation of idea the concept is developed which will allow the experts to develop the product according to the plan. In this phase all the technical information is gathered and formulated into a plan.Electric diesel locomotive consist of diesel engine that drives DC generator or an electrical AC generator. DC generator generally have 3000 horsepower or less for traction. Such locomotives have no mechanical connection among wheels and the diesel engine. The main component is electric diesel impulsion is the engine (prime mover). The control system consist of switchgear and rectifiers which control the electric supply. In the new generation locomotive the horsepower will be enhanced for better performance. The electronic control system will be upgraded to increase the efficiency and traction. (Economist and Kourdi 2015)

    Since it is a new product it is important to provide information to the people. The information regarding new generation diesel locomotive will be done through effective marketing strategy. The company can develop marketing camping in which it can provide information to the people and this new generation diesel locomotive is better than the previous one. The marketing strategy has huge significance for launching a new product because it is evident that the customers or general public have no idea regarding the new product and they can only be informed through successful marketing campaign.

        It is decided to use social media, television and newspapers to provide information about new generation of locomotive. The marketing strategy would be design by keeping the target audience in mind. The target audience would be the transport companies who need locomotives. On the website of the corporation all the necessary details will be provided which will allow customers to know the product is different than the previous products and what innovative features this new product is providing to its customers.

        After all the research & development work and formation of successful marketing strategy, the next phase is to develop in the product in the manufacturing facility. In this phase the product is actually produced in the facility according to the concept developed in the previous phase of product design. Compared to diesel-electrics, Diesel-hydraulic trains or locomotives harness less efficiency. Considering the diesel hydraulics of first-generation BR, the efficiency was less (c. 65%) compared to (c. 80%) of diesel electrics. Furthermore, the previous models were discovered in various countries to be more complicated in terms of mechanics and likely to break apart and fall. For locomotives, hydraulic transmission was built in Germany. Though, there is still a discussion over the stories concerning electrical transmission systems and merits of hydraulics: hydraulic systems’ benefits include decreased capital cost, higher reliability, and decreased weight.

        At the present, the style of engine meets the requirements of emission adopted in target market of exports regarding GE- each the stage III of Union and therefore the UIC Stage of A/B  of Railways’ International Union. It is estimated by GE that annual savings might be lead by the new engine up to 4,000 dollars in service prices and 12,000 dollars in diesel. Moreover for the utilization in locomotives, its potential use in power-generation and marine applications is being considered by the corporate. The tiger team which has proposed the latest engine will be operating at an rpm of 1800 and can be delivered in the configurations of either 16-cylinders or 12-cylinders with the high power of 3300Hp 2500Hp individually. The engine will be reaching additional power of 40 percent at 7.4 pounds every other HP as stated by GE compared to an engine with medium-speed.

        In almost four variants, the three-axle locomotives will be present: electric locomotive of 600kW of H3 Battery, hybrid locomotive of 700k of three-axle locomotive, the dual engine locomotive of 700k of H3 Hybrid, and single engine locomotive of 1,000kW of H3 Single Engine. The very first model uses eight containers of batteries offering 600kW while the second has a battery of 350kW and generator of 350kW. The third one has two diesel generators of 350kW and the fourth one uses a diesel generator of 1,000 kW. A fuel tank of 2,000l is used in each of the three latter variants.

        When the product is finally completed it is tested to evaluate its effectiveness and whether the product will gain attention of the people or not. In testing phase the errors are evaluated and if any issues arises it is immediately removed from the product (Moon 2010).

        After testing the product the product is made available for the general public. The feedback is taken from the customers to evaluate the success of the new product. The product will be sold to the clients and then feedback from the clients would be taken to know whether the new product have provide the desired benefit or not. After launching the product it is important to perform assessment to know the benefits it provide. If the product generated the desired outcome than it can be said that the project of the team has become successful.

Technology Push for Development of New Product

        The technology in the recent years have become quite advance and provide more convenience to the people. The electric diesel locomotive technology is not new however over the years there is need to improve the technology of the locomotives so that it can meet the standards of the modern day world. The product includes latest design specification and features which enhance its speed and performance. Therefore it is evident that the technology has allowed the corporation to come up with new generation locomotive.

Gant Chart for Development of New Product

Following is the Gant chart which shows the duration of the activities which are going to be performed for launching the new product.

Sustainability for Development of New Product

        In designing the new product, the environment protection will be highly considered. The new generation would be designed to not only provide more convenience but also to provide maximum benefit to the society through environment protection practices. Through this the product only sustain in the long run but will also gather the attention of various customers. In the development of the idea various things are kept in mind so that a new product can be developed. Extensive research has been carried out to improve the product and come up with new generation that has more innovative features.

References for Development of New Product

Benson, Robert J., and Tom Bugnitz. 2004. From Business Strategy to IT Action: Right Decisions for a Better Bottom Line. John Wiley & Sons.

Campbell, David, David Edgar, and George Stonehouse. 2011. Business Strategy: An Introduction. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Economist, The, and Jeremy Kourdi. 2015. Business Strategy: A guide to effective decision-making. PublicAffairs.

Moon, Hwy-Chang. 2010. Global Business Strategy: Asian Perspective. World Scientific.

Spender, J.-C. 2014. Business Strategy: Managing Uncertainty, Opportunity, and Enterprise. OUP Oxford.