Project Team Member Roles

Introduction

Most of us understand well the theory that cross-functional teams are critical to success of New Product Development (NPD) efforts. But, just how does this work in practice?

Let’s follow five people, working in various roles in innovation and NPD through a typical day. This is a high-performing, effective team and we’ll conclude with lessons learned that you can use to transform your NPD and project teams today.

The Product

Jetsen’s Jetpacks is a company that manufactures personal transportation devices, with a line of individual transport-ation devices (ITD) and multi-passenger user straps on his or her back for travel. The technology was developed in-house at Jetsen’s and is models as well as bulk storage and cargo transportation. Currently, the highest selling ITD model is a 15-lb backpack, available in red, blue, or green, which the proprietary.

A handheld, wired controller allows the user to activate a small turbine motor on the jetpack to travel upward, forward, and to land. Speed varies from 0-15 mph and a typical distance of about 30 miles. Jetsen’s prides itself on the safety features included with their jetpack (including an automatically deployed parachute if the motor fails at a given elevation and a safety interlock so that the motor will not activate accidentally).

Jetsen’s Jetpacks has been in business for over 25 years and commands a remarkable 54% of the market share in personal, short-run ITDs. Bob’s Multipack is Jetsen’s nearest competitor with a 20-lb jetpack model with maximum speed of 30 mph and maximum range of 50 miles. Bob’s sales make up about 18% of the market.

A Typical Customer

A typical Jetsen’s customer is Judy. Judy is a 20-year old college student who travels about 20 miles a day between her classes, a part-time job, and to go shopping with her friends. Her parents bought her the Jetpack-1 when she started college two years ago. Judy says, “I love that the jetpack gets me to and from class and to my job as a barista. But, it’s really not very fast or very fashionable. And when I go shopping, there’s nowhere to store my new shoes or clothes bags. My friend, Suzy, almost wrecked yesterday when her brother, Timmy, had his earbuds in and didn’t hear her coming in to land on the porch. It totally messed up her manicure.”