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| TEAM NEWS |
October 11th 07 |
The proposed study will provide the following outcomes: • Better understanding of market drivers and constraints for exterior cladding (siding), trim and facia product categories; • Develop an understanding of trends in key US regional markets that are likely to drive change for claddings, trim and facia in the next 5-10 years to inform and accelerate product development by New Zealand manufacturers; • Define the product life cycle and functional structure of finger jointed products in the US market to evaluate the potential for product service systems; • Identify specific market niches that both existing and new manufactured product can address; • Development of a 'product framework' that provides the focus for new product innovation or product service systems that could be applied by timber manufacturers. Design will be an integral part of this development process. • Define the supply chain for finger jointed timber products to ensure cost effective product delivery, which will add value to all vertically integrated stakeholders; • Provide a well-defined process and product development approach that can be used by timber manufacturers to create a new competitive advantage. The outcome of this project will be a well-defined 'product framework' (PF) which is based on a broad assessment of key consumer drivers and market factors. The PF will identify key 'enablers' for the success of products in selected markets and which are underpinned by clearly identified current and future 'consumer' needs. An important factor in the research is that it will establish clear linkages between the consumer requirements ('the market') and technical engineering criteria, which can lead to new product development opportunities and identifying critical supply chain integration and interactions. Timber manufacturers can use the PF to specify new products and their development that strategically align with their individual business objectives and structure.  |
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