Product design -: Interaction between chemistry, technology and marketing to meet customer needs

During the 1990s the job profile of the process engineer in the chemical industry went through some lasting changes. Interdisciplinary project cooperation became established, aiming at competitive and thus rapid innovative leadership. The development of new or improved products must focus on customer needs. Besides production performance the customer mainly needs good handling properties and aesthetics. Product design includes both these considerations. We describe the career of a product, beginning with the initial idea and ending with the product being launched onto the market. A methodology for establishing and evaluating customers needs plays a key role in this process. Process engineering enables the technical realization while considering economic as well as time restrictions. This requires some creativity - and often the development of new technologies. Moreover, the successful completion of a project requires the staff involved to appreciate and accept their colleagues who come from the fields of either chemistry or business management (marketing and market research).