6.1 INTRODUCTION

The aim of commercialisation is to change the final product prototype into an innovative commercial product that can be launched onto the market.

This is still a creative procedure but it is extremely focussed so that the marketing is integrated with the production, and finance is making the funds available but controlling expenditure.

It is an expensive stage and needs good financial control to ensure that resources are available at the right time and that costs do not overrun.

Time also needs to be planned and controlled so that there is no delay. Time is of the essence because there is now a launch date to be considered, and once that is determined then activities are timed and that timing controlled. The aim is to launch at a specific time. If the length of time for commercialisation is increased, either the launch may have to be delayed perhaps up to a year in order to market at the correct season, or everyone rushes to launch and the product is not of the correct quality, or production cannot produce it in sufficient quantities or marketing cannot obtain the correct distribution.