New product development processes within the UK medical device industry.

This paper reports on the findings of an extensive survey investigating practising design engineers' perceptions of new product development within the UK medical device industry. The design activity recorded was predominantly the small-scale development of low volume products. Explicit formal procedures were rarely used in these small-scale developments of low volume products. Specific organizational and design process issues are identified by the respondents as key requirements for the success of the new product development process.