Universally, there are five steps in the development of a new product. The steps remain more or less the same all over the globe. China is no different and the product development in China is similar.
The five steps are:
Idea
The first step in the product development gamut is the idea. This undoubtedly is the seed from which the plant will grow. Ideation is the foundation and needs to be done proactively. It should not only involve selected people from the organization but as many relevant people as possible as well as the people who matter the most to your business – your customers. Often, suppliers and vendors to leave behind great ideas and thoughts that can be worked upon.
Research
Once the idea has been firmed up, you need to get into the research phase and finally, the development phase. While the research is basically about analyzing the market conditions, competitor analysis, and product features, etc. the development phase is all about prototyping,
Testing
The next step is testing the prototype. Prototypes of product development in China, for example, can be tested with existing customers who are your loyal base. They can also be handed over to employees for evaluation. Some companies test prototypes with formal sample groups so as to collect proper data for analysis.
Analysis
Next comes the analysis stage where data collected from the research is analyzed and evaluated, brainstormed thoroughly and then a consensus reached for fine-tuning the product.
Production
The last phase of product development in China or any other country, for that matter, is about going into full-time production based on the final prototype and results and then rolling out in the market. This is a step that requires the involvement of the marketing and the sales departments. You need to promote your product, for which many companies use promotional products from China. This is primarily because Chinese production is cheaper, and they offer many creative promotional product ideas.
Many organizations first make a product strategy before starting with the brainstorming and ideation process and then follow a proper screening process to shortlist the brainstormed ideas for the development of a new product.
