NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: IMPLEMENTING PROCEDURES FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN SMEs UTILISING AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES

Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK are increasingly engaging in new product development (NPD) for competitive advantage. With limited resources and expertise in new product and process development, introduction and implementation the associate risks are significantly higher for those involved. In this paper, enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology is used to provide an insight into the relationship between technology application, personnel involvement and sustainable product development in a subcontract manufacturing SME. The aim is to provide a product development strategy supported by the implementation of sustainable product development procedures through the utilization of available, advanced technologies.