Lean Product Development and Design Management

New Product Development (NPD) is concerned with the ability of companies to fulfill customers’ requirements and translating them into product specifications and finished products. This has also been of concern to the construction industry. This chapter discusses NPD in manufacturing and how its development influenced lean design and construction. Lean design management issues presented in the literature, such as difficulties in requirements management, are highlighted. Aiming to portray an overview of NPD and design management in lean construction, this chapter synthesises design related developments presented at the International Group of Lean Construction (IGLC). As part of this, brief descriptions of the main topics related to lean design management are presented, some of which are further discussed in subsequent chapters of the book. The chapter concludes by proposing areas for future research.