The product life cycle

This refers to the period of an item is developed brought to the market and eventually removed
from the market.

Every product goes through a product cycle.

Phases of development, introduction, growth, maturity and decline.

 The product development stage

This stage,

Ideas are generated from customers, suppliers, computers and internet

Market analysis by looking at the market, price, and the consumer

Product design which represents the physical appearance of the product.

Conception and product engineering which looks at the technology that will be used in
manufacturing of the product.

Market tasting after the product is made it’s tested to customer to determine the taste and
preference.

 Introduction stage.

This is the time taken to introduce the product to the customers

The stage is characterised by high production cost, distribution of product, low sales, and negative
profits.

 Growth stage.

The period which the product eventually and increasingly gains acceptance, own customers, the
industry and the wider general public.

During this stage the product becomes accepted in the market, the sale revenue starts to increase.

 Maturity stage.

At maturity stage, the product sales tend to slow down or stop signalling a largely saturated market.

Pricing at this stage can tend to be competitive.

Marketing at this stage is targeted at depending on the completion and companies will always
develop new altered products to reach different market segments.

 Decline stage.

Product sales develop significantly and consumer behaviour changes as there is less demand for the
product.
The company’s product loses more and more market shares and completion tends decrease and sale
deteriorates.

JOB PROCESS UNDER PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE.

Development stage.

Under job production much time is spent, waiting for access to equipments which hinder conception
and product engineering during product development .for example branding products like sweaters,
soap in soap making may require machines.

Introduction stage.

Under job process there is fixed lower capital which requires high production due to high production
costs at the introduction stage. This job process has lower capital since it may be individual or group
investment which affects on the number of products.

Growth stage.

Since it’s a group that produce a given product to its final output. There is a lot of efficiency under
job process due to high skills obtained from personnel and hence quality output is produced in large
quantises and therefore preferred for market which boosts sales.

Maturity stage.

Under job process, machines and equipments will have to adjusted and readjusted to the
manufacturing requirement which encourages competitive advantage.

Decline stage

Due to declining rates of profits under this stage, the personals producing the given product A may
loss moral in producing the certain product due to its decline in the demand and low market shares
and hence they easily shift to another product B in order to increase the level of profits.

Batch processes under product lifecycle.

Development stage

Under batch process, same type of machines are arranged at one place performing the same tasks
which affects variation product design, conception and engineering since the technology used is
fixed and changes is inappropriate.