Innovation is decisive for the development of our economy, as well as for our daily life. Innovation also means new products. But how do these products emerge from an idea to a product? And, in regarding our industry, how do new technologies get at last onto the road?

A product development process explains how an innovative product is created. There are different product development models; one of them is the V-model, which comes from the software development sector.

This model describes the different phases of the development of new software as well as for testing, which means for quality assurance. The left side of the V explains the phases from functional specifications up to the implementation or realization of the product, while on the right side (the testing side), the specifications of the left side are tested. So each specification on the left side has an according test phase on the right side. The aim is a high-test coverage to ensure the right product is developed and the quality standards are fulfilled.

For MOBA’s OEM channel, the start of a new product is often based on a customer demand (phase zero) that generates in phase one an offer by MOBA and a specification about what and for what the product should be.The interested party in these two phases can either be an external customer or MOBA itself. In phase two, the technical demands and the project planning, the how and with which it should be developed are defined in MOBA’s development department.  The third phase is the tip of the V and it is the phase where the first prototype is produced. It is the phase of the technical realization and test. Risk management is key throughout the process of all phases. The following phases of the right arm of the V are risk-minimizing steps.
Phase four is the verification of phase one, which means the verification of the technical demands by means of a prototype. The product runs through at thoroughly defined test phase. This is the ultimate test if the specified product was developed correctly and in the right way.

After that, the product transfers over to the manufacturing department, where the pilot series is realized (phase five).
In phase six, the product is validated according to phase two, which determines if the product development holds up against market requirements. Because it is not unusual that a product was excellently developed according to the specifications, but yet it was not the “right” thing developed because it is not what the market needs. In the last phase, phase seven, after all this has been checked, the product goes into serial production.

The V-model is not only a model for the software development industry, but it has also been the foundation for development standards of the public sector in Germany. It is also used for the development of various products in the medicine industry and many others.