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The aim of this paper is to suggest a redefinition of the functional product value calculation in lean product development (LPD). The proposed method integrates emotional customer value into the traditional model, which is based on minimizing operating costs and reducing time‐to‐market.

Perceptions of customer value among employees at a Norwegian boat manufacturer, customers, and competitors are investigated through a case study. Results are compared with principles for promoting value and minimizing waste in LPD.

Findings from the case study suggest that a less‐than‐perfect match between customer needs and product offerings sometimes improves customer satisfaction. Furthermore, how customers perceive product value depends on experience that may be at variance with current needs. It is also suggested that deep understanding of customer‐defined value does not imply an ability to satisfy that value.

Understanding the position of meaning‐driven and technology‐driven innovation in different types of industries represents a challenge for further research, as does the issue of whether these two are the only dimensions driving a sustainable innovation strategy. Actionable knowledge on how emotional value can be maximized is also needed.

Maximizing customer value is a core principle in LPD, but the value definitions used tend to be based on logical reasoning rather than real‐life observations. This article presents empirical insights concerning different stakeholders' perceptions of customer value, and the resulting implications for the present lean framework.

Using Taiwanese enterprises that produce computer and consumer electronics products as case subjects, this study aims to explore the effective product innovation strategies applied to cope with competition in the global market and develop a competitive advantage. The product design strategies and methods of companies that used different types of innovation strategies were then analyzed. Finally, a mapping framework for product innovation and design strategies was proposed for enterprises in the computer and consumer electronics industry in Taiwan.

The two stages of this study were a questionnaire survey and case studies. Stage 1: A questionnaire survey and literature review were performed to explore the innovation strategies used by companies in the Taiwanese computer and consumer electronics industry. The purpose of the literature review was to determine the definitions and content of innovation strategies. Stage 2: Design and R&D managers were interviewed to explore the practical design strategies and approaches to product design in the industry.

These four innovation strategies and ways of product design are closely related to the scale, business type and product development conditions in enterprises. Notably, different innovation strategies have different approaches to product design. Generally, product design emphasizes “new experience” in aggressive innovation enterprises, “new value” in market innovation enterprises, “new service” in technical innovation enterprises and “new positioning” in opportunity innovation enterprises. The findings of this study provide a reference for product R&D and design in enterprises.

In recent years, the global market of computer and consumer electronic products has been fiercely competitive. Therefore, only enterprises that can innovate, respond rapidly and maintain advantages in product design can survive in the market. Hopefully, this case study of companies in the Taiwan computer and consumer electronic industry can provide a reference for product R&D and design. The findings of this study provide a reference for product R&D and design in enterprises, especially the Chinese market.

Customer value is the key to successful innovation management. This task is considered complex and abstract. For this reason, several models have been proposed to that end, among them, Lean approaches. Lean's background has been applied to value identification, providing many benefits. This paper aims at analyzing the practices employed to identify customer value through Lean approaches.

Through a systematic literature review, the main Lean practices for customer value identification were categorized based on five main streams: (1) customer development, (2) customer value, (3) lean product, (4) lean start-up, and (5) lean innovation. These practices were organized into a framework that addresses value identification based on ideation, value prospection, requirements, construction and measurement, and value delivery.

In total, 33 practices were found to support capturing the value from the customer's perception. Additionally, a discussion is provided on the complementarity and differences between practices.

A framework is proposed to integrate the five streams and the corresponding practices for value identification. The results provide mechanisms that can benefit practitioners to better understand the value demanded by customers during innovation management. In fact, practitioners can use the proposed framework to identify value to customers in a holistic way. Academically, the results gather research on customer value and innovation management to contribute with a novel artifact for customer value identification in operations management using Lean approaches. Finally, a future research agenda on value identification is proposed.

This study deals with waste in New Product Development (NPD) processes of SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to reveal opportunities for SMEs to overcome resource constraints in their NPD process.

The authors employed qualitative key informant interviews. This design was chosen because research in this field is still limited. The authors performed 49 interviews in engineering-oriented German SMEs to examine the dimension of waste in NPD processes. The data were collected by conducting semi-structured, face-to-face interviews.

The study highlights substantial waste types such as waiting times, rework and duplication of work. In contrast to contemporary literature, waste of material is considered to be relevant in particular for NPD processes of SMEs. In addition to that, the authors found that waste drivers differ to a great extent between the study and the hitherto literature on larger companies.

The overall outcome of this study can help organisations to address waste in NPD more thoroughly. The research presented was not specifically designed to draw statistical generalisations. For this reason, the results may not be applicable to all SMEs.

Based on waiting times as the major waste type in NPD processes of SMEs, the authors claim that firms should pay special attention to disruptions of these processes.

The paper gives insights into current waste types in the NPD processes of SMEs. Moreover, it uncovers the NPD activities which can lead to waste.

The construction industry in many developing countries is reluctant to apply value engineering (VE) due to uncertainty of outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing practices of VE techniques and make recommendations to organisations and national construction regulatory bodies, to standardise VE practices. A decision-making formula is introduced to determine profitability of VE applications prior to implementation.

A broad literature review and six case study projects that applied VE were selected. Thirty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data within cases. Six expert interviews were conducted as confirmatory interviews to clarify and validate research outcome. Content analysis and cognitive mapping were used to analyse data among case studies.

Application, knowledge and experience on VE techniques among construction professionals are unsatisfactory. Recommendations include reducing contractor’s design responsibility, introducing proper VE guidelines and statutory regulations. A framework is introduced to assist authorities to standardise application of VE techniques. A decision-making formula is suggested to determine margins of contractor’s portion due to VE techniques and original profits gained.

The formula can be used as a decision-making tool by construction industry practitioners to determine successfulness of proposed VE techniques, and the proposed framework can be used to guide construction professional bodies to standardise VE practices.