The importance of collaborative frontloading in automotive supply networks

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management - Tập 19 Số 3 - Trang 315-331 - 2008
MarioBinder1, PeterGust2, BenClegg2
1Automotive Business Unit, ZLU – Zentrum für Logistik und Unternehmensplanung GmbH, Berlin, Germany Operations and Information Management Group, Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
2Engineering and Design Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Production, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

Tóm tắt

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how research and development (R&D) collaboration takes place for complex new products in the automotive sector. The research aims to give guidelines to increase the effectiveness of such collaborations.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used to investigate this issue was grounded theory. The empirical data were collected through a mixture of interviews and questionnaires. The resulting inducted conceptual models were subsequently validated in industrial workshops.FindingsThe findings show that frontloading of the collaborative members was a major issue in managing successful R&D collaborations.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this research is that it is only based in the German automotive industry.Practical implicationsPractical implications have come out of this research. Models and guidelines are given to help make a success of collaborative projects and their potential impacts on time, cost and quality metrics.Originality/valueFrontloading is not often studied in a collaborative manner; it is normally studied within just one organisation. This study has novel value because it has involved a number of different members throughout the supplier network.

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Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management

Tập 19 Số 3

315-331

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