Publications

December 1999 (Revised August 2001)
Case

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (A)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Focuses on Millennium's strategy to grow and revolutionize drug development through the use of new technologies such as genomics. Describes how Millennium Pharmaceuticals--a fast-growing biotechnology firm in Cambridge, MA--has used strategic alliances to finance the... View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Financing and Loans; Medical Specialties; Retention; Growth and Development Strategy; Time Management; Product Development; Problems and Challenges; Alliances; Technology; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Cambridge

September 1999
Case

Project Dreamcast: Serious Play at Sega Enterprises Ltd. (A)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Andrew Robertson

Focuses on the ongoing competitive battles in the global home video game market that is estimated to exceed $15 billion by 1999 in the United States and Japan alone. Describes how Sega Enterprises has redesigned its development processes to create a revolutionary... View Details

Keywords: Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Competitive Strategy; Technological Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Partners and Partnerships; Product Development; Business Growth and Maturation; Market Entry and Exit; Sales; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Computer Industry

September 1999
Case

Project Dreamcast: Serious Play at Sega Enterprises Ltd. (B)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Andrew Robertson

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Computer Industry

September 1999
Background Note

Learning from Projects: Note on Conducting a Postmortem Analysis

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Steven Sinofsky

Describes how firms can learn from projects through postmortem analysis. Focuses on the step-by-step process of preparing and running a postmortem meeting as it is done at Microsoft and other software developers. View Details

Keywords: Conferences; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Projects; Software; Information Technology Industry

September – October 1999
Article

Creating Breakthroughs at 3M

By: E. Von Hippel, S. Thomke and M. Sonnack

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Consumer Products Industry

May 1999
Article

Agile Produktentwickler brauchen keine Marktprognosen

By: S. Thomke and D. Reinertsen

April 1999
Teaching Note

Managing Experimentation: Module Overview Note for Managing Product Development(Note for Instructor)

By: Stefan H. Thomke

Describes the conceptual foundations and pedagogy for a module on managing experimentation in the development of products and services. The module has been taught in the second-year elective MBA course Managing Product Development. The purpose of the module is to help... View Details

Keywords: Transition; Business or Company Management; Product Development; Personal Development and Career; Science; Technology Adoption

April 1999 (Revised February 2003)
Teaching Note

Microsoft Office: Finding the Suite Spot TN

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Teaching Note for (9-699-046). View Details

Keywords: Computer Industry; Information Technology Industry

March 1999
Article

The Crash in the Machine

By: S. Thomke, M. Holzner and T. Gholami

February 1999 (Revised February 2003)
Teaching Note

Product Development at Dell Computer Corporation TN

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Teaching Note for (9-699-010). View Details

Keywords: Computer Industry

February 1999 (Revised February 2003)
Teaching Note

Innovation at 3M Corporation (A)&(B) TN

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Teaching Note for (9-699-012) and (9-699-013). View Details

Keywords: Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

1999
Chapter

Flexible Product Development

By: S. Thomke and Don Reinertsen

Keywords: Product Development

November 1998 (Revised November 2001)
Case

BMW AG: The Digital Auto Project (B)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Auto Industry

November 1998 (Revised February 1999)
Case

Microsoft Office: Finding the Suite Spot

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Steven Sinofsky

Describes a key decision-making process within Microsoft's Office products division. At a time when the PC software business has a great deal of uncertainty, Microsoft's management has to make a key decision regarding the future of software suites. A strengthening of... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Applications and Software; Strategic Planning; Organizational Design; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Product Development; Managerial Roles; Growth and Development Strategy; Risk and Uncertainty; Goals and Objectives; Digital Platforms; Innovation and Management; Computer Industry; Information Technology Industry

November 1998 (Revised November 2001)
Case

BMW AG: The Digital Car Project (A)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Describes how the German automotive firm BMW is trying to reduce its development time by half with the aid of computer-aided technologies. To leverage these technologies fully in the very competitive automotive industry, BMW is faced with the challenge of changing its... View Details

Keywords: Change; Competency and Skills; Management; Time Management; Product Positioning; Product Development; Business Processes; Performance; Problems and Challenges; Technology; Auto Industry

1998
Chapter

The Changing Economics of Problem-Solving: Some Implications for Innovation and Competitiveness

By: S. Thomke

Keywords: Problems and Challenges; Economics; Innovation and Invention; Competition

Article

Agile Product Development: Managing Development Flexibility in Uncertain Environments

By: S. Thomke and D. Reinersten

Keywords: Research and Development; Product; Management; Risk and Uncertainty

August 1998 (Revised July 2002)
Case

Innovation at 3M Corporation (A)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Describes how 3M Corp. introduces and learns a new and innovative methodology called Lead User research to understand future customer and market needs. A team from 3M's Medical-Surgical Markets Division applies the Lead User methodology to the field of surgical... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Managerial Roles; Marketing Strategy; Demand and Consumers; Market Timing; Product Development; Problems and Challenges; Business Strategy; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

August 1998 (Revised July 2002)
Supplement

Innovation at 3M Corporation (B)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Manufacturing Industry