Product development kpis: A case study analysis in food and fashion companies

Two of the main industries that are currently paying huge attention to Product Development (PD) are Food & Fashion (F&F). Even if the remaining supply chain processes (production, distribution, sales) are managed in different ways and dissimilar outsourcing policies are adopted, PD is the most valuable process that both the industries are emphasizing. In the Italian context, F&F also represent two of the three excellences of the Made in Italy (Furniture is the third element), also known as "3F". Therefore, this research constitutes a progress of a previous work, which has examined critical success factors, PD features and PLM functionalities in the two sectors. The aim of this study is to analyse how to control, to monitor and to enhance PD through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in F&F companies. From the methodological point of view, case study is adopted as a research strategy, designing two questionnaires with a common structure in order to obtain the required information. Indeed, different companies, belonging to the sectors of interest, have been selected and interviewed. As a result, KPIs are identified and classified. Moreover, a comparison between the previously listed metrics is performed and the drivers affecting similarities and differences are highlighted. This research helps to fill the literature gap, given the few contributions related to product development in the F&F supply chains. It also represents a valuable insight for practitioners who are trying to improve business processes and to increase the control over product development.