Resumo

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of interconnected devices that has the ability to autonomously detect and transmit data to humans or other devices (Ancarani et al. 2019; Gubbi et al. 2013). The use of information and communication technologies in new product development (NPD) processes can assist in identify opportunities from different sources and increase the efficiency of these processes (Ibrahim & Obal, 2020; Nikabadi & Sepehrnia, 2019). Little empirical evidence exists on how the adoption of this technology impact new in product development processes.

Prior research analyzed benefits and potential applications associated with IoT adoption, although little empirical evidence exists on how the adoption of this technology impact operations that are pursuing to optimize and control internal process in product development. The objective of this article is to discuss how companies use this technology in new product development processes. This study seeks to answer the following research questions: How companies are adopting IoT in new product development processes?

Information and communication technologies can help companies collect and analyze internal and external stakeholder’s information to generate knowledge that can be used in different departments and improve innovation activities (Kroh et al., 2018). Many studies have found that the use of these technologies has a positive impact on NPD processes, but few address the impact of using IoT in this process (Ibrahim & Obal, 2020).

The study exploits secondary data to pursue the objective. An IoT projects database provided case studies to throw light into the operational impacts related with the adoption of this technology to control and optimize new product development processes. The cases studies offer a great opportunity to understand how companies are adopting IoT in NPD processes and how the use of this technology impacts the operation in this context. The selected cases studies were examined to discuss how companies are adopting this technology in new product development processes.

The descriptive analysis identified the industrial sectors that have adopted IoT in NPD processes, the maturity of the technologies implemented and which companies developed the adopted solutions. The NPD processes analysis associated the operational impacts evidenced in each case study with activities related with three distinct phases of the NPD processes (i.e. discovery, development, commercialization). The phase that suffered the greatest amount of operational impacts in the cases analyzed was development, followed by commercialization and discovery.

Most of the companies used this technology in Equipment & Machinery sector. The most used technologies were developed more than five years ago, this possibly demonstrates that companies prefer to select more mature technologies compared to recent solutions. Companies are adopting technologies from several suppliers, 38 different companies provided IoT solutions for the 54 cases analyzed. The phase that suffered the greatest amount of operational impacts in the cases analyzed was development, followed by commercialization and discovery.

Ancarani et al. (2019). Internet of things adoption: a typology of projects. International Journal of Operations & Production Management Gubbi et al. (2013). Internet of Things (IoT): A vision, architectural elements, and future directions. Future Generation Computer Systems Ibrahim, S., & Obal, M. (2020). Investigating The Impact Of Radical Technology Adoption Into The New Product Development Process. International Journal of Innovation Management Kroh et al. (2018). Use and efficacy of information technology in innovation processes: the specific role of servitization.