Defining roles for logistics during routine and radical technological innovation

Technological innovation has become increasingly important to new product development in American industry because of the potential competitive advantage it offers. In this study extensive observation and interviewing over more than two years in one prominent Frtune 500 industrial manufacturer provides strong evidence that logistics can and does play important-and sometimes surprising-roles in the development and launch of new technological products. This article describes logistics activities during the development and launch of technological innovations, identifies key roles played by logistics, relates lessons learned and proposes directions for future research.