Abstract
Globalisation has enabled companies to globalise their product development process. Today, everything from manufacturing to R&D can be globally distributed. This has led to a more complex and disintegrated product development process. This paper investigates the impacts companies have experienced as a result of this, and how they have been addressed. Data was collected through case studies of five Danish multinational corporations. The findings showed that the companies experienced several challenges when they globalised their product development process. They consequently implemented various operational solutions to counteract the negative impacts with varying degrees of success.
This paper presents a unique look into global product development through an investigation of its impact on the organisation, the product development process, and the product. Furthermore, it shows the solutions companies employ to minimize the risks of globalisation and the limitations of these solutions. Finally, this paper provides information on the likely causes for these limitations with the current industry solutions, and suggests how these can be addressed.
Original language | English |
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Journal | International Journal of Product Development |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 205-226 |
ISSN | 1477-9056 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- collaborative design
- case study/studies
- offshoring
- human factors
- global product development