- Docente: Alessandro Grandi
- Credits: 9
- SSD: ING-IND/35
- Language: Italian
- Moduli: Alessandro Grandi (Modulo 1) Alessandro Grandi (Modulo 2)
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Engineering Management (cod. 0925)
Learning outcomes
The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the key topics about the organization and the management of innovative projects, with particular regards to ‘new product development'.
The first part of the course analyzes the strategic and market conditions of the technological innovative processes under which new product development projects are embedded.
The second part deals with the problems, solutions and methods relating the economic valuation, planning and the operational and economic monitoring of projects. These topics are developed differently from traditional approaches, highlighting the peculiarities of the project context. Then, some specific tools and methods for the resources, time and costs control, for both single projects or multiple projects are presented. Finally, with specific regards to the strategic and economic evaluation, the focus shifts to methodologies for projects with high levels of uncertainty.
The third part presents the organizational and managerial issues for the R&D and product development activities. After the presentation of R&D organizational forms, the typical structures and organizational roles of the new product development projects are introduced.
The strategic and organizational aspects of the first two parts of the course are functional to present specific models of the new product development management and their connected support techniques.
Course contents
1. Technological innovation and firms development
- Technological innovation and firm competitiveness
- Types of innovation
- The innovation process: steps and critical decisions
2. Planning and projects control
- Specific features of project management
- Planning and project control methods: CPM and PERT
- Planning and project economic valuation
- Cost control for planning support
- Risk management: operative indications
- Multi-projects contexts
3. Marketing and new product development
- New products commercialization
- The diffusion of innovation
4. Research and product development organization
- Structures and organizational processes for the R&D function
- Structures and projects roles
- Formal organization and knowledge management
5. Management models for new products development
- Anticipation and flexibility in new product development processes
- Simultaneous & concurrent engineering: organizational topics and operative methods
- Multi-projects management
6. Methods for the new products development
- Costs optimization
- Methods for the cost-performance optimization
7. Economic valuation for innovative projects
- Economic evaluation under uncertainty
- Analysis through decision trees
- Real options
Readings/Bibliography
F. Munari, M. Sobrero (eds.), Innovazione tecnologica e gestione d'impresa. La gestione dello sviluppo prodotto. Il Mulino, Bologna, 2004.
AA.VV., Organizzare e gestire progetti, 2nd edition, ETAS, Milano, 2004.
A. Lipparini (ed.), Economia e gestione delle imprese. Il Mulino, Bologna, 2007 (chapters VI and VII).
For exercises and other teaching material please check course's website on: http://www.universibo.unibo.it
Teaching methods
Lectures, class and individual exercises, individual work and case studies discussion.
Assessment methods
The final exam consists of a written test: the dates will be set according to the faculty calendar and they will be posted on Almaesami (https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm), where students are also required to enroll.
Teaching tools
Exercises, course material and general information are available at the following website: http://www.universibo.unibo.it.
Office hours
See the website of Alessandro Grandi