Leveraging Champions to Build a Knowledge Management System for the Research and Development and Marketing Interface

Abstract

The research and development (R&D)-marketing interface is one of the most critical elements in the development of commercially successful products. When these two departments can effectively link their processes and information sharing, companies can improve their product development efforts. Champions contribute to the success of this relationship by facilitating the information flow in five critical success factors (CSFs): customer requirements, customer feedback, competition, product development, and goal setting. Management can help the efforts of champions by establishing a knowledge management system (KMS) based on the CSFs. Integrating principles and methodologies from customer relationship management (CRM), an organization can develop a framework to establish a KMS for the R&D-marketing interface.