Daniel Winkelmann started his career in different positions as technical sales before he change to his actual position as a product manager in 2019. In his actual role, he is responsible for an annual turnover of approx. 25 mio. EUR.
Daniel defended his Executive Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) in March 2025. The title of his thesis is “Produkteinführungen erfolgreich gestalten – Die Odyssee in die Zukunft des Unternehmens“ (in English: “Successful product launches – the odyssey into the company’s future”) under the supervision of Professor Thierry Burger-Helmchen, Professor at the University of Strasbourg, France.
Thesis Direction
Prof Burger-Helmchen Thierry
Thesis Title
Successful product launches – the odyssey into the company’s future
Abstract
The development and introduction of new products is essential for the survival of a company. Every company must regularly create innovations to continue to be successful in the market in the future. However, many products fail to establish themselves in the target market. This leads to an enormous loss of capital and unnecessary commitment to human resources. The aim of this study is therefore to establish a management model that evaluates the chances of success of a new product to optimise the use of resources. To do this, the previous findings from the literature are supplemented by a case study and two independently conducted series of interviews. For this purpose, the collected results are prioritised using RBV theory. The resulting findings form the basis of the management model. The BRCP model focuses on success factors in the areas of market and product, the use of human resources, company-wide commitment and the processes carried out. Derived as a management recommendation, this means that product launches must be understood as a change management process. This requires long-term internal commitment at all levels. Likewise, the right choice of personnel is crucial to the success of the new product. This means that, above all, the internal view of the new product is a decisive factor in its further success. Fundamentally, the company must promote and allow innovation. The basis for this is an innovation-friendly corporate culture, as well as a culture that embraces failure.