The New Product Development process starts with Idea Generation, which includes the systematic search for new product ideas (2 points). Using internal sources, the company can find new ideas through brainstorming and formal research and development. Or it can pick the brains of employees—from executives to scientists, engineers, and manufacturing staff to salespeople with suggestion schemes. (2 points) Companies can also obtain good new product ideas from any of a number of external sources, such as distributors and suppliers, or even competitors (2 points). The most important source of new product ideas is customers themselves. Through new approaches like crowdsourcing, or co-creation companies invite broad communities of people into the new product innovation process. Internal and external sources can produce a flood of innovative ideas.(2 points)