The process of developing new products — from designing initial research to reaching the market — never ends at GE. Across businesses, we follow a longstanding and robust process for each new product introduction (NPI). While commercial considerations are a critical part of our NPI process, additional factors — like environmental and health impact — also play an important role. This helps GE not only develop and create successful products, but remain a responsible corporate citizen at the same time.

At the heart of the NPI process is a rigorous determination of customer need. Our research indicates that factors like environmental performance are often a key customer priority, so a review of environmental health and safety is typically conducted prior to a product’s launch. Benchmarking performance against competitors is often part of the process, along with third-party engagement to validate our findings.

The Innovation Breakthrough (IB) framework, which GE uses to develop new business models and discover untapped growth potential in new markets, is an example of the NPI process at work. To qualify for funding within the IB portfolio, potential products must demonstrate both commercial promise and responsible human impact.

Just as customer needs differ across industries and regions, so do the ways our NPI process is applied. However, whether we are evaluating a product’s carbon footprint or determining that it will be used in a safe and ethical manner, the process is designed to ensure that both customer need and responsible citizenship are a part of every new product decision.