Identifying and Ranking the Effective Factors in New Product Development in Arak Combine Manufacturing Company With Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

A New product development as a new approach, and its importance in companies, even though is accompanied by some risks, identifying the key factors can be helpful in terms of decreasing the aforementioned risks. Since any decision about new product development can have a significant effect on degree of success, using a powerful technique that can assist managers in their decision making process is inevitable. Therefore this research was carried out through literature review and surveying method with the aim of identifying and ranking of key factors, to help decision makers to make an appropriate decision in their way towards a new product development. Managers and experts in the product development departments were all consulted in Arak Combine Manufacturing Co, and key factors were identified. Four key factors, namely, "Technology", "Marketing", "Commercialization", and, "Product development team management" were identified and 5 important indicators were chosen for each factor. The AHP hierarchical comparisons test approach was used and questionnaires were filled out by reliable sources, including directors and experts. Then the comments merged, and factors and indicators were determined by paired comparisons. Results showed that, factors of "Technology", "Marketing", "Product development team management", and "Commercialization" were the important factors respectively in this process.