Research Reports from the Department of Operations
Document Type
Dissertation
Publication Date
1-1-1975
Abstract
This study evaluates the validity of the product life cycle (PLC) concept for industrial products and explores its relationship to product innovation. Focusing on steering gears for heavy-duty trucks and farm machinery, the research refines and applies the PLC model, traditionally used for consumer goods, to industrial settings. Findings demonstrate three distinct life cycle forms—innovative maturity, growth maturity, and decline maturity--each influenced by the degree of product innovation. Using discriminant analysis, the study confirms a link between PLC stages and innovation, revealing that highly innovative products have greater sensitivity to discount factors in sales forecasting. Strategic insights include the advantage of targeting progressive customer firms to accelerate innovation adoption. The study concludes by discussing marketing resource allocation across different PLC forms and offers methodological recommendations for future research.
Keywords
Operations research, Product life cycle, Industrial management, Heuristic algorithms, Technological innovations--Management, Steering-gear, Trucks--Parts, Farm equipment, Discriminant analysis, Pattern recognition systems, Marketing research--Methodology, Business forecasting
Publication Title
Dissertation/Technical Memorandums from the Department of Operations, School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
Issue
Technical memorandum no. 372 ; Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
Rights
This work is in the public domain and may be freely downloaded for personal or academic use
Recommended Citation
De Kluyver, Cornelis A., "Innovation and Industrial Product Life Cycles : a Heuristic Classification Study" (1975). Research Reports from the Department of Operations. 248.
https://commons.case.edu/wsom-ops-reports/248