Short answer

Break down functional silos and create integrated strategies that leverage the synergies between product innovation, quality management, brand building, and customer relationship management.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Acta Polytechnica Hungarica (2015)
Method: Conceptual modelling and empirical testing
Evidence: Strong effect

By integrating key strategic management concepts like new product development, total quality management (TQM), brand management, and customer relationship management (CRM) into a unified model, organizations can achieve synergistic benefits and improve overall company performance. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2015 study published in Acta Polytechnica Hungarica. Using Conceptual modelling and empirical testing, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Break down functional silos and create integrated strategies that leverage the synergies between product innovation, quality management, brand building, and customer relationship management.

Study

Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Integrating New Product Development, TQM, Brand, and CRM Enhances Company Performance

Acta Polytechnica Hungarica · 2015

Key Findings

01New product development, TQM, brand management, and CRM share common strategic and corporate culture dimensions, as well as a customer focus.
02An integral model combining these concepts, measured by the Balanced Scorecard, is applicable in practice.
03The integral model positively impacts a company's performance.

Application

Design takeaway

Break down functional silos and create integrated strategies that leverage the synergies between product innovation, quality management, brand building, and customer relationship management.

How to apply

When developing a new product or service, ensure that its design, quality standards, branding strategy, and customer support plan are developed in parallel and are aligned with each other.

Project actions

01When planning a design project, think about how your product will be made (quality), how it will be presented to customers (brand), and how customers will interact with it after purchase (CRM).
02Consider using a framework like the Balanced Scorecard to measure the success of your integrated approach across different aspects of your project.

Method & Evidence

AimTo develop and validate an integral model of strategic management that synergizes new product development, TQM, brand management, and CRM, and to measure its impact on company performance.

MethodConceptual modelling and empirical testing

ProcedureThe researchers conducted a comparative analysis of established management concepts to identify common characteristics. Based on these findings, they constructed an integral model, incorporating a measurement system using the Balanced Scorecard. This model was then tested in practice within companies.

ContextStrategic management in business organizations

Variables

IV["Implementation of the Integral Model of Strategic Management (integrating NPD, TQM, Brand Management, CRM)","Use of Balanced Scorecard for measurement"]

DV["Company performance"]

CV["Existing management concepts (e.g., strategic dimension, corporate culture dimension, customer focus)"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Provides a comprehensive, integrated framework for strategic management.
+Empirically tested and shown to positively impact performance.

Limitations

It can be challenging to truly integrate all these aspects in a small-scale design project. Measuring the actual impact on company performance might be beyond the scope of a typical design project.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability would depend on the consistency of the results across different companies and contexts. Validity is supported by the empirical testing and the positive impact on performance, but further research could explore potential confounding factors.

Think critically

To what extent can the 'Integral Model' be simplified or adapted for smaller design ventures or individual product development efforts without losing its core benefits?

Design Principles

"Synergistic integration of core business functions leads to enhanced organizational performance."

This integrated approach moves beyond siloed departmental strategies, recognizing that these functions are interdependent. A holistic view allows for more cohesive planning, resource allocation, and execution, leading to more effective innovation and market responsiveness.

What This Means for Your Design

Combining different business strategies like making new products, ensuring good quality, building a brand, and managing customer relationships into one big plan can make a company do much better.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the strategic planning and integration of different design and business functions in your design project.
2.Use the findings to justify the importance of a holistic approach in your project's development and evaluation.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the benefits of an integral model of strategic management, demonstrating that integrating new product development, total quality management, brand management, and customer relationship management can lead to significant improvements in company performance. This suggests that a holistic approach, where these functions are not treated in isolation but are synergistically linked, is crucial for design projects aiming for comprehensive success.

Source

Acta Polytechnica Hungarica

Integral Model of Strategic Management: Identification of Potential Synergies

journal · 2015

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about integrating new product development, tqm, brand, and crm enhances company performance?: Break down functional silos and create integrated strategies that leverage the synergies between product innovation, quality management, brand building, and customer relationship management. Evidence: Acta Polytechnica Hungarica (2015).
Why does "Integrating New Product Development, TQM, Brand, and CRM Enhances Company Performance" matter for design?: This integrated approach moves beyond siloed departmental strategies, recognizing that these functions are interdependent. A holistic view allows for more cohesive planning, resource allocation, and execution, leading to more effective innovation and market responsiveness.
How can designers apply this research?: Break down functional silos and create integrated strategies that leverage the synergies between product innovation, quality management, brand building, and customer relationship management.
What were the main findings?: New product development, TQM, brand management, and CRM share common strategic and corporate culture dimensions, as well as a customer focus.. An integral model combining these concepts, measured by the Balanced Scorecard, is applicable in practice.. The integral model positively impacts a company's performance.
What research method was used?: Conceptual modelling and empirical testing.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2015 journal from Acta Polytechnica Hungarica.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing a new product or service, ensure that its design, quality standards, branding strategy, and customer support plan are developed in parallel and are aligned with each other.
What are the limitations?: The specific context and industry of the companies where the model was tested might influence the generalizability of the findings. The study relies on the effectiveness of the Balanced Scorecard as a measurement tool.