Jan. 23, 2007 -- A new book by Darden Professor Timothy M. Laseter and Ron Kerber delivers cutting- edge tools for helping managers get new products organized, positioned and marketed faster than before.

 "Strategic Product Creation" was published in December and is available through Amazon.com. The book also offers ways to increase the stream of pioneering ideas feeding new product creation. Case studies complement the authors' practical guidance on the five key components of product development. 

Prior to joining the Darden faculty in 2002, Laseter was a partner in Booz Allen Hamilton's operations practice, focusing on operations strategy, supply chain management, and sourcing for a variety of global businesses. He also worked in manufacturing operations at a joint venture between Siemens and Corning.

Kerber is a fellow with the school's Batten Institute, a business think-tank. Kerber is a former executive vice president and CTO of Whirlpool Corp., where he integrated product development and procurement and introduced a new, corporate-wide product creation process. Kerber is now a consultant with the Department of Defense. He is a former senior McDonnell Douglas product and business development executive, and was deputy undersecretary of defense at the Pentagon.