| An in-depth study of product development processes for the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry was conducted. The business as well as technical side of development was studied. The study concludes that new product development for MEMS is significantly different than the development of microelectronics and proposes a product development process for the MEMS industry; one that addresses the unique challenges of this emerging industry.;In-depth surveys were conducted of several MEMS companies to characterize their major issues and current product development processes. Three major issues dominate the MEMS industry: lack of financial resources, need to improve marketing and reducing product development time.;A proposed new product development process was synthesized that addresses these three major issues. The process consists of seven major phases: strategic planning, market and technological segmentation, product definition, concept generation, concept selection, technical development and technology development. The process provides a framework to guide the business and technical activity of product development. A verification effort showed industry agreement with the three major issues as well as the proposed MEMS new product development process. |
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