Sustainable growth means new products, processes, markets, customers, product, business or technology development, each of these requires a different approach. Develop a rapid understanding of these areas or enlist help to ensure success.

* Line extensions
* New product development
* New applications

* Acquisitions, plant, equipment, people, companies, licences
* Mergers, horizontal or vertical integration, acquisition of competitors
* New markets, domestic, export, new customers, creating new segments

The Strategic Business Plan

The company, resources, finances, operations, technologies, development.

* Outlines capabilities, core competencies and platforms
* Details human resources, innovation management, marketing.
* Plans for increased skills through training and people selection
* Innovation management acquiring and assigning resources, setting policies for internal and external activity, partnerships, alliances, associations.

Business development
* Evaluates current and future needs, use internal and external assessments
* Anticipate what the market wants, when and how much is it worth
* Translate needs into specifications, then details costs and prices
* Develops the budget, the costs of getting to market
* Covers the financials, ROI, capital needs, resources, investment

Technology Development
* Technology development means acquisition and application
* Nominate concepts and demonstrates results
* Ensures development is under market conditions and product contexts
* Monitors the technology transfer process for effective implementation 

Product Development
* Finalises the design and specification
* Plans what resources are needed for development and testing
* Testing, internal and external includes selected customer evaluation
* Includes shipping trials and emergency events in the service support plan  

Start everywhere to generate ideas and concept, screen results to assess validity.              

* Assess where you are, what you have, what you can and cannot do.
* Create a team with support resources.
* Availability of development time and effort.
* Options for low cost development, licences, joint ventures, relationships.
* Continually assess developments, customer needs and market drivers

* Initial screening, cut out the dross, commit resources, people and money
* Preliminary assessment study, acceptance, non scientific appraisal.   
* Preliminary technical assessment, viability of technology and process
* Detailed market study, user needs and wants, concept testing, positioning
* Financial analysis, risk and business assessment, market attractiveness.
* Product development, the most cost effective means for future production.
* In house testing, under controlled laboratory conditions
* Customer product testing, field trials, preference testing.
* Trial selling, limiting sales area, customers, regions
* Trial production, proving process, tooling, limited trials
* Pre-commercialisation analysis, business and financial analysis
* Production start up, full scale, pilot or commercial production.
* Market launch, the full launch, implementation of the marketing plan.
* Measurement & evaluation, how successful was it all, what needs changing.

Process review - review is an essential part of the process.

* Transform customer’s requirements, project intent, list, prioritize attributes.
* Options and alternatives to be included in the project intent
* Operating plans, finance, marketing and development, detail who and when
* Major objectives, spin offs, prepare for new applications, alternative markets.