Q&A: Supply Chain Strategies vs. New Product Introduction

When bringing a new product to market, what makes up a successful long term vendor strategy through all phases of development, and how early does this process begin? Whether the phased program is managed solely within the walls of the principal business or certain program components are outsourced, thorough integration among all the elements is critical to success. But how is overall success measured in a true turnkey program? Architecture, design, beta testing, marketing, pilot production and continuous manufacturing for example are all components that make up the new product introduction road and they all have their own unique metrics for success. But isn’t true success measured in the macro sense where a high quality cost effective product is delivered? Do companies tend to mis-judge vendor strategies early on only to deal with costly challenges later? Looking for interesting ideas and experiences on the subject.