The driving forces for this all too common practice stem from (1) honest ignorance of what it takes to develop a product or (2) a strong personality type who takes a presumptuous approach to product development by reducing some cost and time by eliminating required steps. In the end, however, such decisions almost always require a costly restart or change-of-course in the development effort in order to "do it over again, but do it right this time".

A product developer who intends to begin development without judicious, up-front preparation should look first at the potential, unfortunate results of such a position, which are supported by a large body of experience and research (see example references at the end of this article).

Thus, it's quite evident that if you neither understand nor have control of the product development process then the output is basically unpredictable. This paper is intended to provide useful experience-based development techniques and information to enable some predictability.

GPEP is based on 'successful product engineering methods'⁶. It contains the core of accepted product development techniques, similar in conviction to (for example) Quality Function Deployment⁷ and Stage-Gate⁸ concepts, and it provides an reasonable a priori endeavor to advocate a product's success. The chance of success is increased by being as knowledgeable as possible up-front, by managing risks, changes, costs, creativity and the Product Engineering process, and by critical review and acceptance of deliverables at the end of each stage of the process.

"GPEP is an attitude, a process and a discipline used to help move a product from vision to profitability."

GPEP is the engineering analogue to 'Good Manufacturing Practices' (GMP & cGMP) and 'Good Laboratory Practices' (GLP) guidelines, which many corporations and agencies⁹ now successfully use as guides for the production of quality and consistently manufactured products. From the foregoing claims it is evident that a process similar to GMP/GLP needs to be used in the development stages of a product. GPEP is intended to be both a business case gauge and a general guideline that can be used to direct the design and engineering of a useful, high quality, reliable and profitable product for most any market.

The GPEP attitude sets the tone for creating the Product Engineering process and following it. Attitude is easy to proclaim, but it only allows one to 'talk-the-talk'; process and discipline are also absolutely essential to 'walk-the-walk'.