FROM LEAN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TO LEAN INNOVATION: SEARCHING FOR A MORE VALID APPROACH FOR PROMOTING UTILITARIAN AND EMOTIONAL VALUE

This paper considers the role of lean product development (LPD) as part of a company's overall innovation strategy. Our discussion contends that the value-concept in LPD is too strongly tied to product features, and that this may lead to: (i) overemphasis on utilitarian value, (ii) preference for reliability over validity, and (iii) a defensive approach to market-trends. These factors can compromise the philosophy's ability to maximize customer value, and represent a challenge in making LPD fit beyond incremental innovation in the technological domain. Lean innovation (LI) is therefore introduced as an extension of LPD, building on a value concept that embraces emotional as well as utilitarian characteristics. It is suggested that lean principles should not be limited to product development, but should concern all aspects of a company's innovation efforts relevant to offering a pleasurable customer experience.