New product development and the effect of supplier involvement

This study investigates the problem of new product development (NPD) under supplier involvement (SI) program in a supply chain comprising a single supplier and a single buyer. The buyer, the Stackelberg leader in the supply chain, configures the design quality of the product and determines the extent of SI – the degree to which the supplier is involved in the NPD project – in order to utilize the complementary capability of the supplier. The supplier in charge of production determines the level of conformance quality to design specifications. Using the principal-agent paradigm, we propose an analytical framework that investigates the role of the SI program in the NPD project, incorporating essential factors such as the R&D cost, the transactional inefficiency, the production cost, and the transfer payment. We provide rich managerial insights into the decentralized NPD practice by analyzing the equilibrium behaviors of major decision variables (design quality, conformance quality and SI extent) with respect to internal and external environmental conditions.     

Supplier involvement in integrated product development: evidence from a group of Italian SMEs

Integrated product development (IPD) is gaining increased attention from practitioners and the academic community as a source of innovation and competitive advantage. However undeniable the importance of the issue is as to how the different actors involved in the process interact among themselves and the supporting factors not being well understood even in the SME context, the availability of empirical research and a comprehensive framework to drive this research remains unavailable. This article contributes to these research gaps by providing theoretical and empirical findings. First, a research framework on IPD is identified. The proposed framework represents a conceptualisation of IPD principles as consisting of three groups of integration enablers, which aim to achieve high internal (among departments) and external (with suppliers and customers) integration: (a) organisational enablers, (b) technological enablers and (c) methodologies. Then, a multiple case study approach is used in order to empirically explore external integration with suppliers in product development in 22 SMEs from the machine tool sector.     

基于TAM-VCE模型的客户网上参与产品开发意愿

本研究根据客户网上参与产品开发的特点,基于Davis的TAM模型,增加了沟通、工作相关性、结果可见性、有趣性感知四个外部变量,构建了TAM-VCE模型,用于研究客户网上参与产品开发意愿的影响因素.采用问卷调查方法对该模型进行检验,结果表明有用性感知、易用性感知和有趣性感知是客户对VCE使用态度的三个决定因素.其中易用性感知、沟通、工作相关性和结果可见性对有用性感知有直接影响,并为正相关关系.此研究结果有助于企业设计出客户更易于接受的网上参与平台,提高产品开发成功率.     

Analytical network process for software selection in product development: A case study

Application of software for manufacturing processes is one of the resolutions many enterprises have resorted to in the 21st century. This has been a result of increased complexity of products, globalization, rapid changes in technology and so on. The idea was that application of software especially for product development would increase the competitive advantage of industry nevertheless the irony has been that most of the investment in software has not achieved the expected results. We carry out a case study to introduce a methodology, the analytical network process as a multiattribute strategic decision making approach to help in the selection of appropriate software to suit the product development process of a particular product.     

Modelling collaborative product development using axiomatic design principles: application to software industry

Even though collaborative product development (CPD) is considered as a strategic business plan to maintain competitive advantage, the literature lacks a systematic and detailed model of CPD from a strategic point of view. This article aims to develop a CPD model based on an axiomatic design technique by offering a system perspective in the context of software development (SD). Software industry is characterised by a dynamic and innovative nature and it gives a suitable application area in order to detail the proposed model in industry. Three main dimensions of CPD derived from the literature are defined in strategic level: partnership process, collaboration process and PD/SD. These three dimensions are detailed into hierarchy through business feedback and by experts from software industry. The model is evaluated and verified through two interviews. A case study is then conducted to observe the performance of the model. The conceptual model offers a guideline for CPD practitioners to increase effectiveness in collaborative efforts in the development process. The proposed model incorporates the main success factors of CPD in general, collaborative SD in specific, and it can be used as a performance evaluator in collaborative projects.     

The effect of supply chain integration, modular production, and cultural distance on new product development: A dynamic capabilities approach

Little research has examined how international firms' operations strategies affect dynamic capability creation or how cultural distance affects operations management. This study addresses these gaps by bridging the work on dynamic capabilities, two operations management techniques (product modularization and supplier integration) and cultural distance. Using a sample of 111 Brazilian automobile suppliers, the study finds that new product development is marginally increased by product modularization but decreased by supplier integration. Cultural distance negatively moderated these relationships. This research extends the dynamic capabilities literature and indicates that operations management strategy is an important part of the dynamic capability formation process.     

供应商早期参与制造企业新产品开发的实证研究:供应商视角

供应商早期参与制造企业新产品的开发作为一种新型的合作模式,可以使合作双方获益。本文从供应商的角度,分析了供应商早期参与制造企业新产品开发的关键因素,并用实证研究的方法验证了这些因素对供应商早期参与新产品开发的影响路径。     

Supplier Opportunism in Buyer–Supplier New Product Development: A China‐U.S. Study of Antecedents,Consequences, and Cultural/Institutional Contexts

Collaborating with a supplier in a buying firm's new product development (NPD) project is commonly advocated and adopted, but does not always improve project performance. Some pre‐existing collaboration contexts, such as buyer–supplier NPD projects, are especially exposed to supplier opportunism due to the uncertain nature of the collaboration process. Adopting agency theory and transaction cost theory perspectives, we examine: (i) contextual antecedents and project consequences of supplier opportunism and (ii) if these causal influences vary in different cultural and institutional contexts. Using a survey sample of 214 United States (U.S.) and 212 Chinese buying firms’ responses about buyer–supplier NPD projects, we find that supplier opportunism is significantly influenced by the task and relational contexts. We also show that supplier opportunism damages both design quality and efficiency, two aspects of project performance. When comparing U.S. to China, we find that task and relational contexts have a greater impact on supplier opportunism in the U.S., but design efficiency is less hurt by supplier opportunism there. Finally, we show challenges of preventing supplier opportunism in certain NPD collaboration contexts, and offer solutions for overcoming these challenges.     

Internationalisation and outsourcing of operations and product development in the fashion industry

This paper investigates the choices in terms of internationalisation and outsourcing of operations and product development activities, as well as collaboration practices used within and across organisations, in different segments of the European fashion industry. Based on multiple, in-depth case studies from Italy, Germany and the UK, the paper shows that fashion companies adopt different configurations of operations and product development, i.e. integrated, collaborative and virtual, ranging from local-integrated models to global-full outsourcing of operations and product development activities. For each configuration, different collaboration practices are in use. Product line positioning and quality, firm size, sales volumes and technical complexity of the products are the key drivers determining the configuration choices and the adoption of certain collaboration practices.     

Development of sustainable platform for modular product family: a case study

Abstract

Defining product platform architecture is a critical issue to design and develop product variants. Different factors are highly dependent on the architecture type, such as number of variants, to measure modularity level, component commonality, market demand, etc. It is directly related to manage product portfolios and setting up business plan of a company. Before defining a product platform, whether it is modular or integral product designers need to follow specific design guidelines and checklists. This research mainly focuses on to define the platform architecture as well as provides necessary design guidelines and checklists for the product designers. It also highlights an example product of a case company with the objective to clarify/validate the proposed product design approach. In conclusion, this paper outlines the findings from this research and proposed some critical questions need to be answered within the scope of future research potentials.     

Structuring Supplier Involvement in New Product Development: A China–U.S. Study

Buying and supplying organizations rely on each other for developing better products in an efficient manner, which explains the popularity of involving suppliers in new product development (NPD). However, such involvement is not always successful, partially due to the challenges of structuring a buyer–supplier team to manage joint dependence and dependence asymmetry. This study adopts an organizational dependence view to examine how three types of intergroup structures—administrative (formalization and centralization), task (task interdependence), and physical (colocation)—influence project performance and buyer learning in NPD projects. Furthermore, adopting a contingency theory perspective, we study whether the national context moderates the effects of intergroup structures on project outcomes. We adopt a two‐group structural equation modeling approach to test hypotheses with survey responses from a sample of NPD projects in the United States (US) and China. Results show different ways in which intergroup structures influence project performance and buyer learning in the two culturally, economically, and institutionally distinct countries. We discuss the implications of these new findings and present directions for future research.     

Completing projects on-time: how project acceleration affects new product development

How do accelerated time goals affect the execution and completion of new product development (NPD) projects? This research addresses this question as it relates to project content, project leadership, and aspects of design integration. Research data were drawn from a survey of 131 completed NPD projects from firms representing a wide variety of manufacturing industries. The results of an analysis of both intentionally accelerated and normally-paced projects suggest that project acceleration interacts with project content, leadership, and integration variables to affect on-time performance differently across NPD project types, sometimes in surprising ways. Two primary effects are posited to explain these inconsistent effects. First, NPD acceleration tends to increase the difficulty of the project by introducing new procedures and by reducing schedule slack. These changes are thought to exacerbate project content factors and to raise the value of NPD leadership and integration techniques. At the same time, an intentional acceleration strategy is thought to signal increased priority for the project, causing development personnel to make more careful decisions, and to more effectively implement new technologies and techniques. The article discusses the implications of the findings for future research and practice.     

跨企业组织协同产品开发中供应商早期参与策略研究

在跨企业组织的协同产品开发中,供应商的参与时间和设计活动间的信息交流是影响整个产品开发时间和供应商开发成本的重要因素之一。基于对设计活动的技术创新程度和下游制造商信息对上游供应商的重要程度,扩展了知识累积函数和设计返工函数。针对供应商的参与时间和信息交流次数,建立了供应商参与协同产品开发模型,通过构造考虑产品开发时间和供应商开发成本权衡的全局收益变量,证明了全局收益极大值的存在性。在此基础上,分别给出了供应商最优参与时间和最优的信息交流次数的计算公式以及供应商参与协同产品开发策略选择的判定条件。最后通过实例验证了该结论的适用性。     

Interactions in new product development: How the nature of the NPD process influences interaction between teams and management

Effective interaction across organisational boundaries is a critical success factor in new product development (NPD). However, few studies have investigated how different mechanisms enable effective interaction across organisational and particularly hierarchical boundaries.This study explores how the formality of the NPD process influences the nature of interactions across different organisational boundaries and specifically identifies interaction mechanisms used across hierarchical boundaries. Cross-sectional interviews were conducted in nine firms. Findings highlight that in firms with a formalised NPD process, interactions tend to have a transactional/managerial bias. In contrast, in firms where the NPD process is flexible, interactions have a more social objective.     

Early supplier involvement in the design process: lessons from the electronics industry

The movement of activities earlier in the product development process, necessitates a re-examination of the total supply network. Supply chain literature has traditionally examined procurement and value-adding activities, without explicitly defining product development as part of these. The trend towards outsourcing design activities is bringing recognition for this process as part of the total supply network. The objective of this paper is to determine the degree of early supplier involvement (ESI) that exists between a multinational electronics company and its key suppliers, in terms of depth of integration, information exchange and buyer–supplier relationships. The paper provides insights into the strategic factors that affect the dynamics of the ESI process. Such insights are valuable in terms of gaining a greater understanding of how the ESI process is managed and determining the barriers to effective supplier integration. The research indicates that there are considerable impediments for those participants responsible for establishing and managing the implementation of ESI. A number of strategic insights are identified that explain the existence of the impediments to the ESI process. Finally, based upon the findings a number of lessons are highlighted for organisations considering the adoption of the ESI process.     

Toward a Typology of Buyer–Supplier Relationships: A Study of the Computer Industry*

Buyer–supplier relationship typologies are useful analytical tools for purchasing managers in managing exchange relationships with suppliers and monitoring their purchasing portfolios. Existing buyer–supplier relationship typologies are mainly focused on either relational contents or power‐dependence and have limited empirical support for their performance implications. In this study, we developed an alternative buyer–supplier relationship typology that integrates both relational content and power‐dependence dimensions, resulting in four generic relationship types: market, power, autonomous‐link, and constrained‐link relationships. We then performed a longitudinal exploratory investigation of eight leading firms in the U.S. computer industry to explore the performance implications of the typology, using a combinatorial qualitative approach that leverages the strengths of case study research, content analysis, and quasi‐experimental design. The results suggest three theoretical propositions. First, the association between the type of buyer–supplier relationships and buyer firm performance varies such that constrained‐link relationships are superior in terms of operational efficiency while autonomous‐link relationships are superior in terms of product innovation. Second, the positive association between buyer–supplier relational contents (i.e., relationalism) and buyer firm operational efficiency is strengthened as the suppliers' dependence on the buyer firm increases. And finally, the positive association between buyer–supplier relationalism and buyer firm product innovation is weakened as the suppliers' dependence on the buyer firm increases.     

供应商参与新产品开发对企业自主创新能力的影响研究

本文以装备制造企业为实证研究对象,探讨了供应商参与新产品开发对企业自主创新能力的影响关系.同时,构建了包括供应商参与新产品开发、关系互动、知识创造、企业自主创新能力四个变量的概念模型,并提出相应的理论假设.通过结构方程模型的检验,表明供应商参与新产品开发对关系互动和知识创造均有显著的正向影响,进而通过两者对企业自主创新能力有显著正向影响.     

Sustaining growth in the modern enterprise: A case study

This paper describes a model developed to demonstrate the constancy of and virtual need for change in a sustaining organization. Several executives from different organizations were interviewed in order to capture the dynamics structure. Essential variables were listed and causal modeling was used to obtain important relationships. Equations of interrelationships among the variables were developed. Validation of the model was performed at two levels: (1) validation of the structure as suggested by the causal modeling process using a new methodology and (2) validation of the emergent behavior by using case studies of industries which have different time rates of evolution.     

并行工程产品开发过程定量化建模与计划制订

由于现有的一些并行工程定量化模型中修改设计微循环的细节特征描述得还不够充分 ,本文提出了一种新的基于产品 -工艺设计活动对网络的定量化模型来描述并行工程产品开发过程 ,并且给出了产品 -工艺设计活动对平均持续时间与产品或工艺设计活动资源占用率的计算方法 .在此基础上 ,将并行工程产品开发过程的计划制订问题建模成一个有资源约束的项目调度问题 .与其它此类问题不同的是 ,在本文中 ,分配给产品开发项目的各类资源的数量不是事先给定的 ,而是与最优产品开发计划一起获得的 ,所以这是一个资源分配与计划制订的集成优化问题 .本文提出了一种新的基于分枝定界的算法来解决此问题并引入一个启发式规则来提高算法的搜索效率