Key component supplier supports based on product complexity during New Product Development - A case study of Netbook PC manufacturers in Taiwan

The process of New Product Development (NPD) involves several stages, each involving different problems. Efficiently solving these problems requires support from key component suppliers. This study, based on different levels of product complexity, classifies innovative products into two types, low complexity and high complexity, and uses Netbook PC (small notebook PC) as a case study to conduct a full product comparison of six product types. This study shows that manufacturers should seek various forms of supplier support when encountering problems during the NPD process. Furthermore, in the case of products with high complexity, more diversified marketing and technology support are required from key component suppliers.