Published: 23 January 2024
Many R&D organizations rely on informal knowledge sharing to bridge the gap in their documentation of key assumptions and insights. R&D leaders can use this research to improve how their teams track critical information throughout the new product development process.
R&D leaders and their teams often do not formally document project information as part of their new product development (NPD) workflow. This leaves organizations reliant on informal knowledge sharing and the institutional knowledge of tenured R&D staff to communicate important project updates and best practices from across the company.
Relying on informal knowledge sharing can hinder teams’ ability to learn from past projects, avoid duplicative work, assess the progress of ongoing initiatives and select investments for the future.
R&D leaders and their teams seeking to document critical knowledge throughout the NPD process should:
Use a scorecard to assess the value
Clients can log in to view the entire document.
Analysts:
Gartner research, which includes in-depth proprietary studies, peer and industry best practices, trend analysis and quantitative modeling, enables us to offer innovative approaches that can help you drive stronger, more sustainable business performance.
Our independence as a research firm enables our experts to provide unbiased advice you can trust.
Not only is Gartner research unbiased, it also contains key take-aways and recommendations for impactful next steps.
Our research practices and procedures distill large volumes of data into clear, precise recommendations.
We provide actionable, objective insight to help organizations make smarter, faster decisions to stay ahead of disruption and accelerate growth.
We offer one-on-one guidance tailored to your mission-critical priorities.
We work with you to select the best-fit providers and tools, so you avoid the costly repercussions of a poor decision.
Connect directly with peers to discuss common issues and initiatives and accelerate, validate and solidify your strategy.
Gartner clients can log in to access the full library.
Attend a Conference
Accelerate growth with Gartner conferences
Gain exclusive insights on the latest trends, receive one-on-one guidance from a Gartner expert, network with a community of your peers and leave ready to tackle your mission-critical priorities.
© 2026 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and its affiliates. This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form without Gartner's prior written permission. It consists of the opinions of Gartner's business and technology insights organization, which should not be construed as statements of fact. While the information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Although Gartner business and technology insights may address legal and financial issues, Gartner does not provide legal or investment advice and its insights should not be construed or used as such. Your access and use of this publication are governed by Gartner’s Usage Policy. Gartner prides itself on its reputation for independence and objectivity. Its insights are produced independently by its business and technology insights organization without input or influence from any third party. For further information, see Guiding Principles on Independence and Objectivity. Gartner publications and other content may not be used as input into or for the training or development of generative artificial intelligence, machine learning, algorithms, software or related technologies.
