People, Product & Strategy/People

People
In order to have effective processes which produce quality products or sustain daily business operations, many people within a firm must work together for the benefit of the organization as a whole. Functional barriers and boundaries must be broken down to create more cohesive processes which enhance all business operations. This entails communication and collaboration between diverse functional branches of an organization. This also requires people to play a part in crossfunctional teams working together with individuals from diverse functional backgrounds and experience. With this increased organizational unity, the efficiency and performance of virtually all business operations and processes are bound to improve.

Product development is an interdisciplinary activity requiring contributions from nearly all the functions of a firm; however, three functions are almost always central to a product development project:
Marketing: The marketing function mediates the interactions between the firm and its customers. Marketing often facilitates the identification of product opportunities, the definition of market segments, and the identification of customer needs. Marketing also typically arranges for communication between the firm and its customers, sets prices, and oversees the launch and promotion of the product.
Design: The design function leads the definition of the physical form of the product to best meet customer needs. In this context, the design function includes engineering design and industrial design.
Manufacturing: The manufacturing function is primarily responsible for designing and operating the production system in order to produce the product. Broadly defined, the manufacturing function also often includes purchasing, distribution, and installation.