OpLaunch Company Information

New product development (NPD) is a constrained discovery process in search of launch success. OpLaunch collaborates with other developers to achieve launch success.

The OpLaunch raison d'être is to optimize development for launch success.

We train developers to be more NPD-effective. We train managers how to improve their NPD ecosystem. We provide design and development services.

We specialize in collaboration with other NPD contributors such as designers, engineers, programmers, scientists, support specialists, and documentation specialists.

OpLaunch has the breadth of experience to provide value in many types of business environment including Stage-Gate, Agile, Flexible, and Lean. We have collaborated in command-and-control management cultures and complex adaptive systems that favor distributed cognition.

OpLaunch does not sell launch-related templates or best-practice reports.

Benefits from comprehensive launch designs

The most effective launch designs focus the efforts of all the contributors. This includes disciplines such as engineering, product management, manufacturing, purchasing, quality assurance, public relations, sales, support, advertising, trade show services, training development and delivery, industrial design, user interface design, multimedia production, web site development, compliance engineering, packaging, brand management, distribution channel management, project management, and the next-big-thing. In addition, an NPD project usually requires priority support from departments such as shipping and receiving, IT, human resources, facilities, and legal.

Another detractor to NPD success is the significant responsibilities of NPD contributors to current products and duties to routine company activities. A well-crafted launch design clarifies which individuals are critical to the success of the NPD effort and other supporting roles.

Consider the challenges faced by many NPD team leaders. Sub-optimization occurs because of factors such as functional silos, matrix organizational structures, and inconsistent metrics. Internally, NPD project delays result from factors such as over-committing critical resources, learning curve issues, project communication problems between networked team members, and distractions from non-critical sources.

Launch design is complementary with other development popular techniques such as Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), Stage-Gate, Voice of the Customer, Lead User processes, House of Quality (QFD), and TRIZ.

Our approach to comprehensive launch design is called Launch Architecture. We advocate the inclusion of a launch architect as an NPD team member. In cooperation with a team leader or product manager, the launch architect develops the launch strategy and the design that harmonizes the efforts of all the development resources.

Maximizing the probability of launch success

"Product commercialization often turns out to be the most expensive and risky part of the new product process, as well as the most poorly-managed." Crawford and Di Benedetto, New Products Management, 6th edition, McGraw-Hill Education, 2000, page 358.

We have completed projects that ranged from a one-day duration to more than a one-year duration. We have worked with companies whose size ranged from one person to more than 100,000. Regardless of the scope of the project or size of the company, our specialty is to design and implement solutions that ensure the maximum potential for launch success.

We know that when you are buying a service (such as ours) that you may consider doing the work yourself. When you have an imperative to improve new product development activities, your team may evaluate multiple claims. We encourage you to evaluate our experience, certifications, and publications as you select partners to maximize the probability of success of your product launch.

OpLaunch founder, Mark A Hart, is a certified New Product Development Professional (NPDP) and immersed in NPD techniques. He is a frequent contributor to NPD publications.

Biography of OpLaunch founder Mark A Hart