Accelerating a company's rate of new product introductions requires more than a focus on project execution. It requires fostering a culture that enables the talented team members already on board to contribute at their maximum potential. We are fortunate three such new product development systems/cultures have already been articulated: Lean, Agile, and Knowledge-based. What is even more fortunate is that you do not need to choose one from among the three. By understanding the historical context behind these dominant methods and encountering them side-by-side, you will see the underlying principles that are common to them all. And rather than choose one of these for your organization or team, The Great Convergence proposes merging them into a single, unified framework. Doing so will allow your team to retain the unique strengths of each one while taking advantage of the major themes common to them all. If you are searching for a better way to do new product development, The Great Convergence can help you articulate and implement that change.

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Steve Zielinski is a Certified Systems Engineering Professional as well as a Project Management Professional. He is the author of The Great Convergence: Merging Lean, Agile, and Knowledge-based New Product Development. Steve has managed new product development projects in the domains of avionics, closed-circuit TV, industrial process control, electro-hydraulics, and medical devices.