Critical success factors for cross‐functional teamwork in new product development

Abstract

There is consensus that the effective implementation of cross-functional teams is critical to new product success. However, such teams face particular challenges because of welldocumented barriers between functions. Furthermore, there is little evidence-based guidance for practitioners on how to achieve effective cross-functional teamwork. In order to address this gap, the literature on cross-functional teamwork was analysed to identify critical success factors. Using a heuristic team effectiveness model, these were categorized into six groups: task design, group composition, organizational context, internal processes, external processes and group psychosocial traits. Recent theory on group effectiveness has increasingly recognized the significance of a supportive organizational context, and this is particularly pertinent for cross-functional teams. Key success factors include strategic alignment between functions, a climate supportive of teamwork and team-based accountability. The findings are integrated into a diagnostic model which is intended to be of practical benefit to people designing, leading and facilitating cross-functional new product development teams.

Developing and Managing Cross-Functional Teams: A Multi-Case Study of Brazilian Manufacturing Companies

“…According to this research, the addition of practices like job rotation and inter-functional meetings in CFT may accelerate NPD processes, and help to accomplish activities according to the scheduled timeframe. In that same NPD context, Holland, Gaston and Gomes (2000) suggest three critical factors for success in CFT applied on new product development: strategic alignment between functions, organizational support for team and project needs, and a culture which prizes teamwork, i.e. team based accountability.…”

“…Most of the literature brings about NPD and project teams, e.g. (Anthony et al, 2013;Holland et al, 2000;Jugend and Silva, 2012). Cross functional teams are presented as tools to bring people from different functions together in order to perform boundary spanning activities within organizational processes (Maltz and Kohli, 2000;Topolšek and Čurin, 2012).…”

A methodology to facilitate knowledge sharing in the new product development process

“…Challenge type one concerns the challenges presented by different vocabularies used by the various engineers, designers and different functional disciplines involved in the NPD. This is reflected by work already carried out in the NPD domain by Holland et al (2000) and in the requirements engineering domain by Effendi et al (2002) and Kerr et al (2004). Kerr et al (2004) posit that functional disciplines involved in the design process stages, 'bring their own language, jargon and perspectives to a design project'.…”

Globális vállalatok belső struktúrájának alakítása a beszerzés és a termékfejlesztés kapcsolódó tevékenységeinek tükrében

“…Ennek során kiemelt elemzési szempont, hogy a beszerzést mennyire vonják be a stratégiai tervezésbe, milyen a beszerzés státusa a szervezetben, mekkora a belső integrá-ció foka, illetve mennyire fejlett beszerzési képességekkel rendelkezik a szervezet. Több publikáció tárgyal a beszerzés területén (is) alkalmazott néhány kiemelt szervezeti megoldást, például keresztfunkcionális csapatok alkalmazását (Holland et al, 2000;Sethi et al, 2001). …”