"I really don't think you understand what parallel or concurrent new product development is all about. You said you had studied in your course that all of the functions get involved. No, concurrent development means just that - technical development phases - design engineering, etc. They are all doing work very much alike, they work with each other, they can feel how things are going and when they can take a chance and make a premature commitment. Marketing people can't do that. Even production people (process engineering) have trouble on this score."