Agile manufacturing practices for new product development: industrial case studies

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 560-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Leite ◽  
Vanessa Braz
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
New Product ◽  
Agile Manufacturing ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Huge Impact ◽  
History Of

Purpose – For decades multiple management philosophies directed toward lean production and mass were assumed as to respond to process inefficiencies and rampant consumerism, optimizing operation costs. However, new customization and flexible productions philosophies have been gaining ground in some industries, such as the agile manufacturing. From a literature review that addresses the history of this philosophy, it is clear that agile manufacturing is not fully comprehended, with very scarce information about practical cases. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper the authors describe an exploratory methodology approach, with three semi-structured case study interviews. The goal is to study which of agile manufacturing practices are being applied in the studied companies and what is the perceived effect that these have on operational performance. Since most of these companies develop highly customized products, the role of agility on new product development can have a huge impact on their operational performance. Findings – Agile manufacturing is not yet a widespread philosophy of managing for the companies studied, being virtually unknown as a global concept. However, it was found that many of the practices of agile manufacturing are already implemented in these companies without association with this philosophy. It was also concluded, by the finding through respondents opinions, that agile practices contribute positively to the studied companies operating performance. Originality/value – The novelty of this research derives from observation of agile manufacturing practices in SMEs. This research is useful to SMEs implementing agile manufacturing principles.

The role of new product development briefs in implementing sustainability: A case study

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 172-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Effrosyni Petala ◽  
Renee Wever ◽  
Chris Dutilh ◽  
Han Brezet
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
New Product

A case study on FMEA-based improvement for managing new product development risk

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Carrizo Moreira ◽  
Luis Miguel D.F. Ferreira ◽  
Pedro Silva
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Early Phase ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
New Product ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
User Friendliness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Risk

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of the failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) as an effective tool for decreasing failure risk in the early phase of the new product development (NPD), which adds to existing literature on the application of FMEA in NPD.Design/methodology/approachThrough the application of action research (AR) methodology, it was possible to develop a case study examining the use of FMEA to decrease NPD risk in an early phase of NPD execution.FindingsThe importance and immediate gains of identifying NPD failures support FMEA's usefulness for NPD risk decrease. Moreover, its user-friendliness, timeliness and cost advantages facilitate the introduction of FMEA in the early phase of NPD execution.Originality/valueFMEA is a well-known method used in manufacturing companies to identify and correct failures in products, processes and systems. This article explores the lack of practice-oriented evidence on the use of FMEA in the early phase of NPD execution and provides support to its applicability and effectiveness.

scholarly journals The dark side of effectuation in a key account management relationship

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip McGowan ◽  
Chris Simms ◽  
David Pickernell ◽  
Konstantios Zisakis
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
New Product ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Key Account Management ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Account Management ◽  
Key Account

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of effectuation when used by small suppliers within key account management (KAM) relationships. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory longitudinal case study approach was used to examine a single small supplier operating in the snack foods sector of the UK foods industry, as it entered into a new KAM relationship with a major retailer and undertook four new product development projects. Findings Findings suggest effectuation may positively moderate the ability of a small supplier to enter into a KAM relationship by enabling it to obtain resources and limit risk. However, once within the relationship, the use of effectuation may negatively impact success by increasing the potential for failure to co-create new product development, leading to sub-optimal products, impacting buyer confidence and trust. Furthermore, a failed KAM relationship may impact other customers through attempts to recover revenues by selling these products, which may promote short-term success but, in the long-term, lead to cascading sales failure. Research limitations/implications It cannot be claimed that the findings of just one case study represent all small suppliers or KAM relationships. Furthermore, the case presented specifically concerns buyer-supplier relationships within the food sector. Practical implications This study appears to suggest caution be exercised when applying effectuation to enter into a KAM relationship, as reliance on effectual means to garner required resources may lead to the production of sub-optimal products, which are rejected by the customer. Additionally, a large customer considering entering into a KAM relationship with a small supplier should take care to ensure their chosen partner has all resources needed to successfully deliver as required or be prepared to provide sufficient support to avoid the production of sub-optimal products. Originality/value Findings suggest the use of effectuation within a KAM relationship has the potential to develop a dark side within business-to-business buyer-supplier relationships through unintentional breaches of trust by the selling party.

The role of quality control circles on new product development: A case study of Thailand

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-141
Author(s):  
Nuchjarin Intalar ◽  
Chawalit Jeenanunta ◽  
Nattharika Rittippant ◽  
Pornpimol Chongphaisal ◽  
Somrote Komolavanij
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
New Product

Adoption of product lifecycle management in new product development: a case study of automotive organisation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganesh Tanpure ◽  
Vinod Yadav ◽  
Rakesh Jain ◽  
Gunjan Soni
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
New Product ◽  
Product Lifecycle Management ◽  
Product Lifecycle ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Manufacturing Organization ◽  
Lifecycle Management

PurposeThe Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system has found varieties of deployments in various domains of product-based industries. Current study aims to provide a framework for the adoption of PLM systems in manufacturing organizations to meet the actual requirements of industries.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a systematic review of extant literature was performed, and further, the case study approach is opted to study the process of New Product Development (NPD) in a manufacturing organization. Triangulation methodology was adopted wherein the interview results, actual observations, and authorized documentations were used to validate the result and provide conclusions.FindingsA conceptual framework and implementation architecture for PLM is derived. The complete ecosystem for digital footprint is mapped for New Product Development (NPD) activities.Practical implicationsThe study could be helpful for Techno-Functional Managers. For individuals with only functional/technical knowledge, additional training might be required to adopt the framework in actual practices.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a framework and demonstrating the feasibility of implementation through the case study.

The mediation effects of team information processing on new product development success: revising the role of innovation orientation and team unlearning

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Andrea Amaya ◽  
Wann-Yih Wu ◽  
Ying-Kai Liao
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
New Product ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Processing Theory

PurposeAlthough previous studies noted the importance for organizations in establishing an innovation strategy, few have examined innovation orientation as a multidimensional knowledge configuration. Therefore, this study draws on the valuable theoretical underpinnings of the resource-based view and information processing theory to examine the mechanism through which an organization's innovation orientation (IO) and team unlearning (TU) can impact new product development (NPD) success.Design/methodology/approachA causal model was developed in order to analyze the role of innovation orientation and team unlearning on NPD success. This proposed model and several hypotheses were gauged using data from 255 NPD team members from Taiwanese high-tech and traditional companies.FindingsThe results indicate that both IO and TU relate to outcomes. Specifically, this study demonstrates that it is insufficient that firms simply establish the configurations needed to enhance their IO and TU, firms also need to find out the correct mechanism to enhance NPD success. The relationships between IO, TU and NPD success were fully mediated by team information processing.Originality/valueThis report sheds light on the importance of innovation orientation and team unlearning in today's NPD process and uncovers the underlying mechanism through which IO and TU contribute to NPD success. It also offers precise advice for the assessment of management of team information-processing to boost the performance of new products.

scholarly journals The role of human resource-related quality management practices in new product development

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leopoldo J. Gutierrez-Gutierrez ◽  
Vanesa Barrales-Molina ◽  
Hale Kaynak
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Knowledge Integration ◽  
New Product ◽  
Strategic Flexibility ◽  
Learning Orientation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Related Quality

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to adopt the dynamic capability (DC) view as a theoretical framework to empirically investigate the relationships among human resource (HR)-related quality management (QM) practices: new product development (NPD) as a specific DC, learning orientation, knowledge integration, and strategic flexibility. Learning orientation and knowledge integration represent two antecedents of strategic flexibility, and strategic flexibility is the developed ability that facilitates NPD. Design/methodology/approach To empirically test the relationships, the authors used data from 236 European firms and performed structural equation modeling. Findings Results indicate that HR-related QM practices contribute to creating a learning-oriented company, integrating knowledge, and supporting successful NPD. Furthermore, knowledge integration is positively related to NPD through strategic flexibility. Practical implications This study is relevant for practitioners because it identifies key points in QM implementation that enable firms to be more strategically flexible and thus better able to regularly develop new products. Originality/value When organizations must sustain their competitive positions by continuously adapting to environmental changes, it is important to study not only how QM implementation is positively related to the firm performance on which a significant portion of the QM literature has focused but also to study whether QM implementation is related to strategic variables and can make a contribution to strategic processes. To fill the void in the HR and QM literature, this study offers an integrated framework with empirical support that identifies the role of HR-related QM practices in learning orientation, knowledge integration, strategic flexibility, and NPD.

Decision-making and cost deviation in new product development projects

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1066-1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Cathrine Thore Olsson ◽  
Ulf Johannesson ◽  
Roger Schweizer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Single Case ◽  
New Product ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Product Cost ◽  
Content Type

PurposeEmphasizing the importance of product cost deviation; the purpose of this paper is to contribute to the new product development (NPD) literature and research on decision making by discussing: How are decisions related to product cost deviations made during a product development project?Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth single case study approach studying the decision-making process of Volvo Cars Cooperation during a car development project is applied.FindingsThe paper suggests that factors influencing how decisions related to cost deviations are made during a NPD are not limited to the classic trade-offs among time, cost and scope, but include managers’ complex cause-and-effect analysis under the influence of values, behaviors and norms. Furthermore, the context is not limited to NPD projects; rather the frame for the decisions and its influencers is at least as wide as the corporate context.Research limitations/implicationsThe common limitations of a single case study apply.Practical implicationsThe study emphasizes the importance of clearly defined targets during a NPD project that need to well communicated, acknowledged and understood by all involved to serve as true business levers. A poor target is likely better than no target. Furthermore, lack of overview or responsibility for the success of the projects, increase the risk for sub-optimization and silo thinking.Originality/valueThe study is pioneering by highlighting the importance of and explaining the implications of decision making related to cost deviations during a NPD project.

Mediation of scenario planning on the reflection-performance relationship in new product development teams

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Açikgöz ◽  
Gary P. Latham ◽  
Fulya Acikgoz
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
New Product ◽  
Scenario Planning ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role

Purpose The purpose of this study is to reveal the mediating role of scenario planning between reflection and task performance in new product development (NPD) teams. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from 78 NPD teams and 194 employees. The mediation analyses were conducted through the bootstrap PROCESS macro method. Findings The results of this study yielded support for two of three hypotheses. The authors found that the relationship of reflection with product development speed and new product success is mediated by scenario planning. There was no mediation of scenario planning between reflection and product development cost. Research limitations/implications These findings show how teams can capitalize on reflective thinking practices to increase NPD task performance through scenario planning. Practical implications This study provides useful guidelines for team leaders on how to accelerate product development processes and to increase the market success of a new product. Leaders should encourage their teams to review their previous performance metrics with ongoing changes in the business environments. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the mediating role of scenario planning on the reflection–task performance relationship in NPD teams.

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