PDMA Connections - March 2024

The significantly revised and improved Third Edition of the PDMA Body of Knowledge (BoK) provides a singular reference for everyone involved in product management, development, and innovation—regardless of industry. It is also the guidebook of the knowledge required to pass PDMA’s New Product Development Professional (NPDP) certification exam. The BoK is organized into seven integrated knowledge areas: management, strategy, portfolio, process, design and development, market research, and cultures & teams. New sections address case studies, examples, chapter exercises, and sample NPDP exam questions.

Use code PDMA3 for a 25% discount at wiley.com.

Do you have a project, product innovation, process, tool, or methodology that you are bursting to share about?

PDMA is seeking exceptional interactive presentations from practitioners like you to share cutting-edge strategy and processes that others can learn from—and toot your own horn! Your insights will empower attendees to tackle their most formidable innovation challenges head-on. Don't miss this opportunity to make a lasting impact and contribute to the advancement of innovation!

CFP closes: April 10, 2024
Speakers selected by: End of April, 2024

The 2024 JPIM Annual Research Forum, powered by the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), seeks various types of conference submissions from scholars from all disciplines who share a common interest in new product development and innovation management research. The JPIM Research Forum is part of the PDMA conference and will offer networking opportunities with scholars, practitioners, the JPIM’s Editorial Team, and the PDMA community. There will be joint sessions for researchers and practitioners for stimulating high-impact research driven by collaborations between industry and academia.

Full Competitive Papers, Developmental Papers, and Special Session Proposals are all welcome. Submissions from all academic areas, methodological approaches, and regions of the world are welcome.

CFP closes: April 15, 2024
Speakers selected by: July 15, 2024

Knowing your customers better than anyone else creates an incredible opportunity for competitive advantage. Voice of the Customer (VOC) has been a best practice front-end of innovation activity for decades, but executing systematic VOC can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Applied Marketing Science (AMS), in partnership with Professor Artem Timoshenko from the Kellogg School of Management, is exploring how custom Generative AI can accelerate and enhance VOC insights. The central question: can Gen AI produce detailed and actionable customer needs—the beyond-the-obvious, qualitative insights necessary for front-end innovation?

Join Kristyn Corrigan of AMS to explore how Gen AI is propelling brands’ ability to obtain robust, actionable VOC insights for innovation.

PDMA’s Global Student Innovation Challenge 2024 submission portal is open and ready to receive your innovation ideas!

The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) is pleased to offer the 5th annual Global Student Innovation Challenge. This challenge encourages and supports students developing novel, real-world offerings—including products, software, or services. Students currently enrolled at a university academic program, either in an undergraduate or graduate level, are eligible to participate. The top three finalist teams will be invited to present their project as part of the PDMA International Inspire Innovation Conference, September 14-17, 2024 in St. Louis, Missouri USA. You can review the rules and guidelines of the challenge as well as videos of the winning teams from previous years on our website. Please thoroughly review the rubric to ensure you meet all the criteria.

The submission portal is open until June 1, 2024.

New kHUB Content:
The post pandemic and Artificial Intelligence era have seen exponential growth in product development activities. This growth has created a competitive landscape, which has made strategy the differentiator! Mike Amanyi from Ethnonet Canada Inc. shares strategies and practical ways to set that strategy and deliver in his Delivery of Complex Product Through Strategy webcast. Access it through kHUB’s strategy section.

Book Reviews are posted for many of the recommended books on our Recommended Reading Book List, found under kHUB’s Additional Resources. We’ve just uploaded the following new reviews of recently added books. (You’ll also see a link to order the book directly from Amazon if the book review piques your interest):

Learn & Adapt: ExPD an Adaptive Product Development Process for Rapid Innovation and Risk Reduction
Written by: Mary Drotar and Kathy Morrissey, 2022, 316 pages. Reviewed by: Scott Burleson

Transform with Design: Creating New Innovation Capabilities with Design Thinking
Edited by: Jochen Schweitzer, Sihem Benmahmoud-Jouini, and Sebastian Fixson, 2023, 304 pages. Reviewed by: Carlos Rodriguez

PDMA’s local chapters continue to hold online events. We post the recordings and presentations from the local events on kHUB’s Local Chapter Content - on Demand for you to access and view at your convenience. Three US-based chapters held virtual events in January:

Carolinas Chapter—January 9, 2024: Cultivating Creativity: How to Nurture Innovative Skills in Product Teams
St Louis Chapter—January 11, 2024: Using the Working Backward Framework to Create High Confidence Product Features
Minnesota Chapter—January 17, 2024: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use in Product Management

We have found and added links to some new Blogs and Podcasts to kHUB’s additional resources! Follow articles and insights from Untold! This blog series delivers high-impact content for innovative brands, products, and initiatives that need scientific, technical, and medical storytelling—immersing ourselves in the stories of innovative organizations like yours. Access the regular podcasts from Untold Stories of Innovation featuring interviews with the nation’s top innovators to tell the stories of their innovations. After all, what good is an innovation left untold?

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society announces their 23rd Annual User-Centered Product Design Award. This prestigious award shines a spotlight on teams who have masterfully integrated user-centered design principles into their product development, ensuring their creations truly resonate with users. Applying is simple:

Nomination Form: Start with a brief form to introduce the nominated product/system.
Submission File: Prepare a detailed document showcasing the design, development, and impact of your product/system. Email this to adam@ucdaward.com by April 30.
Early feedback option: Submit a one-page version of your Submission File by April 1. Expect constructive feedback within 5 business days, offering you ample time to refine your final submission.

Hesitant about your nomination? Chat with Adam! Call 215-701-3134 or email adam@ucdaward.com to discuss your potential nomination.

PDMA is growing! Meet and connect with our new members by signing into the PDMA community on our website.

PDMA welcomed these new members in February 2024. We look forward to working with you!

Corporate Team
Shion Hung

Individual Members

Pete Agrawal
Steve Ezar
Nicole Gileadi
Veronica Kirn
Mark Madsen
Kunal Mandalia
Maura McCafferty
Helena Milevych
Christopher Monos
Aderonke Nedd
Maria Pankova
Balaji Prasad Ponna Sivahari
Todd Schneider
Savita Shrivastava
Bryan Smith
Andrew Stockler
Tina Stoufer
Joseph Szlavik
Ryan Totall
Matt Waldron
Yuyang Wang
Lesia Yanytska
Rachel Zenkevich
Tomasz Żernicki

Academic Members

Janace Bubonia
Shihmin Lo
Chen Shao

Student Members
Young Chan
Abigale D'Souza
Yu Dai
Weishan Li
Linsen Liang
Zhuan Luo
Lauren Mathieson
Nishant Parikh
Shihui Wu
Chenjue Zhu
Ruiqing Zhu