The word blueprint is significant. It is used because it provides a critical distinction between the process of Product Design Review and other, follow-on product development review processes such as Product Verification, Product Validation, Product Testing, Project Review, QA and Reliability tests, EVT, DVT, PVT, etc. These later activities have to do with assessing, measuring and gauging a physical prototype, first article, production version, or an operational simulation of the product along with the associated project aspects such as schedule, costs, resources, etc. (see: The Realms of Testing...throughout a product's life-cycle⁷ for a discussion of physical product reviews.)

On the other hand, a product design review appraises the product blueprint prior to physically implementing the product. In some cases, though, rough models or computer renderings may be created for design reviews.

Figure 2 is somewhat simplified, but it shows the relationship between the product design review and some of the other tactical product and project reviews and tests. Sometimes a company may request a preliminary design review to justify authorizing continuation of the product development activity (dotted line under Product Design Review in Figure 2). But, many times justification for the whole project is given after the design review or even after the completion and project review of the project blueprint , which some call the Market Requirements Document (MRD)⁸. The MRD is generated after the product design review has been completed and sanctioned by the stakeholders.

So, if the PDS is the qualitative description of the product then quantitative aspects such as schedules, technical solutions, costs, staffing, resources, development, marketing and production plans are not part of the PDS. Instead, these quantitative product and project items belong in the MRD.

For example, in a product review, the product implementation is being gauged with not only the design but also the technical specifications, which are derived from the MRD by the pertinent development group (see Figure 2). The product review is used to determine if the implementation of the design was correct.

In most new product development projects the PDS precedes the MRD. However, in cases where a very popular innovation happens (e.g., the iPhone^TM) competition needs to quickly 'jump on the bandwagon' and only the MRD would be generated because everyone already knows the product blueprint .

For more details about the MRD click on: