TOWARDS AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING NEW PRODUCTS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN DEFENCE INDUSTRY

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to propose a single New Product Development (NPD) process for the Departmental Acquisition and Procurement Division (DAPD), Arrnscor and the South African Defence Industry. It examines the success factors and measures that contribute to the probability of success of NPD ventures . The NPD processes are grouped in three categories: information transfer, phased product development and integrated product development. NPD processes currently applied in the Department of Defence (000) of the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and South Africa are examined and evaluated against research findings on success factors for NPD. These NPD processes were taken into account in developing the proposed process. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doe! van die artikel is om 'n enkcle Nuwe Produk Ontwikkeling (NPO) proses vir die Departementele Aanskaffing en Verkryging Afdeling , Krygkor en die Suid-Afrikaansc Krygstuig Industrie voor te stel. Die suksesfaktore en metings wat mag bydra tot die waarskynlikheid van die sukses van die NPO onderncming word ondersoek. Die NPO prosesse word gegroepeer in drie kategoriee nl. inligting oordrag, gefasseerde produkontwikkeling en geintegreerde produkontwikkeling . Die NPO prosesse wat tans toegepas word deur die Departemente van Verdediging van die Verenigde Koninkryk, Verenigde State van Amerika en Suid-Afrika word ondersoek en ge-evalueer teen navorsing wat NPO sukses faktore identifiseer. Hierdie prosessc is in ag geneem by die ontwikkeling van die voorgestelde proses.