Product and Services Management

Book excerpt: `A text that successfully bridges the gap between academic theorizing and practitioner applicability because it uses multiple real-world examples/mini-cases of management techniques to illustrate the well-researched academic theoretical foundations of the book′ - Creativity and Innovation Management `A complete and useful treatment of the domain of product and service decisions. This book is unique in its treatment, dealing with product and service portfolio evaluation, new product/service development and product/service elimination in an integrated manner. Enlivened by many mini-cases, the book provides a soup-to-nuts approach that will prove very attractive for students and be a valuable reference for managers as well. Highly recommended′ - Gary L Lilien, Distinguished Research Professor of Management Science, Penn State University `Product and Services Management (PSM) is a welcome, up to date summary of the key issues facing firms in developing and refreshing their portfolios. The examples and cases bring the academic arguments clearly into focus and demonstrate the crucial role of PSM in leading the overall strategy of the firm′ - Professor Graham Hooley, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Aston University, Birmingham `Managers responsible for and students interested in product portfolio decisions previously had to consult several sources for obtaining up-to-date information; books on new product development, articles on service development, readers on product management, and frameworks for product evaluation and termination. With the book Product and Services Management the reader obtains four-in-one. Avlonitis and Papastathopoulou reveal in a compelling and comprehensive manner why product decisions are the cornerstone of modern marketing and business, and illustrate the theory with numerous mini-cases from Europe and elsewhere. A must read for everyone with a passion for products′ - Dr Erik Jan Hultink, Professor of New Product Marketing, Delft University of Technology This book provides a holistic approach to the study of product and services management. It looks at the key milestones within a product′s or service life cycle and considers in detail three crucial areas within product management, namely product/service portfolio evaluation, new product/service development and product/service elimination. Based on research conducted in Europe and North America, this book includes revealing cases studies that will help students make important connections between theory and practice. The pedagogical features provided in each chapter include chapter introduction, summary, questions and a further reading section. Additional material for instructors include PowerPoint slides and indicative answers to each chapter′s questions. This book is written for undergraduate and postgraduate students of business administration who are pursuing courses in marketing, product portfolio management, new product development and product policy.