We may or may realize it, but ideas impact just about every aspect of our lives on a daily basis. Some of them are our own. For example, has anyone ever asked you what do you want for dinner tonight? Of course, and that decision is up to you – just as it is up to you to decide what to wear each morning. Other types of ideas, however, may not come directly from our mind, but they still have an impact on us. Take, for example, road construction and repair. For the most part, it’s not the decision of the motorists when such projects should be started. Those decisions are left up to the contractors in charge. However, the result of that decision will impact anyone traveling that section of roadway. While these are pretty simple examples, new product development is yet another type of less obvious situation where the decisions other people make can impact the lives of others.

As consumers, we are impacted by this concept in its final form any time a company releases a new product. However, what we may not see is all of the work that goes on behind the scenes of that product.  As one may expect, the behind-the-scenes work differs from industry to industry. You would not expect those working with food to approach a product the same way those working with cars do.

Every industry has its own inherent risks and questions that must addressed before a product can be released to the general public. There are strict guidelines in place that companies need to follow. In the case of the chemical industry, products must undergo a rigorous amount of testing. These tests are not only designed to ensure the safety of any potential consumer, but some are also designed to make sure the product itself is stable enough to be handled by humans at all. Once the safety of the product is determined, it can then work its way into other industries as the developer deems fit.  Chemicals can impact a variety of industries because they can be found in a variety of products. So many consumer products – from skin lotion to cleaning supplies – contain chemicals, and it is extremely crucial that these chemicals are tested before they are released.

Take a moment and think. Have you ever seen or heard of a product and thought to yourself, “Hey, I have an idea to make that product even better”? Welcome to the world of new product development. Of course, there is much more to the process than the initial thought, but it’s that first idea that gets the ball rolling.

Lauren Biddle is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @Biddle23 to see what else he has to say!