Last Thursday, we had the pleasure of giving an inspiring talk alongside Dr. Harald Brodbeck from Neosight at the Toolpoint for Lab Science after-work event in Rapperswil, organized by Christian Walter. The audience included highly engaged R&D leaders and innovation experts.
Our presentation focused on the key success factors that can elevate product development processes “from Good to Great.” Our years of experience are supported by scientific studies: nearly 50% of overall product development success is determined by professional project portfolio management (PPM).
The Top 10 Success Factors are:
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Clear strategic project selection: Consistently focus resources on the most promising projects.
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Strong project portfolio management (PPM): Full transparency, clear priorities, and smart decision-making.
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Early and continuous customer integration: Ensure and validate customer value early and consistently.
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Methodological clarity with a hybrid approach (e.g., STAGILE®): Combine agile and traditional methods for hardware and systems development.
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Interdisciplinary team competencies: Cross-functional teams avoid silo thinking.
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Active risk management and opportunity orientation: Identify and mitigate risks early. Proactively seize opportunities.
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Efficient resource and competence management: Use resources and skills optimally to avoid bottlenecks and create transparency.
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Empowerment and team ownership: Strengthen employee responsibility for better outcomes.
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Active stage-gate processes: Make clear go/no-go decisions and stop projects early if needed.
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Measurable performance indicators (KPIs): Make product development measurable (“What gets measured, gets done!”) and continuously improve.
This is exactly where we come in with our agile-hybrid framework STAGILE® and the supporting tools ALEAS Board (for agile planning and team collaboration) and ALEAS Projects (for project portfolio management). With these tools, all 10 success factors can be addressed in a targeted and practical way – and with rapid impact:
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Fast implementation with noticeable project success in just a few weeks
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Pragmatic, intuitive tools with minimal administrative effort – and maximum effect
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Clear, end-to-end transparency across the entire product and innovation portfolio
Once again, sincere thanks to Christian Walter from Toolpoint for the excellent organization, to Dr. Harald Brodbeck for the great collaboration, and to all participants for the lively exchange and valuable discussions.
💡 For Reflection and Action:
Think about your product development process: Where do you stand today? Which of these success factors are you already applying effectively – and where is there room for a real leap forward?
If you could improve just one of these factors – which one would have the greatest impact in your organization?
Take the opportunity to simplify processes, create transparency, and make your teams measurably more successful. Because excellence doesn’t happen overnight – it comes from focused execution, the right tools, and the courage to change.
Let’s move from Good to Great – together.
Klaus Madlener | STAGILE® Coach
