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1 – 10 of over 29000A.H.M. Shamsuzzoha and Petri T. Helo
The aim of this paper is to investigate the importance of information management in modular product architecture for customized product development.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the importance of information management in modular product architecture for customized product development.
Design/methodology/approach
The objective of this research is to analyze product architecture in terms of information exchange and show its influence in product customization. A case study is presented with a view to modelling the information tracking necessary for product architecture and customization.
Findings
In today's volatile business environment, appropriate ways of information management could be an added value for manufacturing firms. This paper deals with the importance of information flow in product architecture. The role of information exchange influences the basic architecture of the product development process, which also affects the general theme of product customization.
Research limitations/implications
The importance of information flow highlights the design architecture and brings flexibilities to the product development process. This concept is illustrated through a single case example, which may not be translated as a generic output. Multiple case study approaches could be undertaken in future research to rigorously analyze the influence of information exchange on product architecture.
Practical implications
In order to comply with growing customization, firms are looking for flexible design architecture in their product development process. The presented approach will be beneficial for designers and organizational managers in developing flexible customized product or services.
Originality/value
This paper implements a unique approach to modular product architecture through information dependencies among components and sub‐assemblies. The basic principle of modular product architecture and how it affects product customization are also reported.
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Sebastian Pashaei and Jan Olhager
The purpose of this paper is to explore how global operations of manufacturing companies influence the choice of product architecture decisions, ranging from integral to modular…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how global operations of manufacturing companies influence the choice of product architecture decisions, ranging from integral to modular product designs.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors perform a multiple-case study of three global manufacturing companies with integral and modular product architectures.
Findings
The authors find that the internal network capabilities, the number of capable plants, the focus of component plants, the focus of assembly plants, the distances from key suppliers to internal plants, and the number of market segments significantly influence the choice of integral vs modular architecture.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to three large manufacturing companies with global operations. However, the authors investigate both integral and modular products. The authors develop propositions that can be tested in further survey research.
Practical implications
The findings show that the type of global operations network influences the decision on product architecture, such that certain global operations characteristics support integral product designs, while other characteristics support modular designs.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge this paper is the first study on the explicit impact of global operations on product architecture, rather than the other way around.
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Sendil K. Ethiraj and Hart E. Posen
In this paper, we seek to understand how changes in product architecture affect the innovation performance of firms in a complex product ecosystem. The canonical view in the…
Abstract
In this paper, we seek to understand how changes in product architecture affect the innovation performance of firms in a complex product ecosystem. The canonical view in the literature is that changes in the technological dependencies between components, which define a product’s architecture, undermine the innovation efforts of incumbent firms because their product development efforts are built around existing architectures. We extend this prevailing view in arguing that component dependencies and changes in them affect firm innovation efforts via two principal mechanisms. First, component dependencies expand or constrain the choice set of firm component innovation efforts. From the perspective of any one component in a complex product (which we label the focal component), an increase in the flow of design information to the focal component from other (non-focal) components simultaneously increases the constraint on focal component firms in their choice of profitable R&D projects while decreasing the constraint on non-focal component firms. Second, asymmetries in component dependencies can confer disproportionate influence on some component firms in setting and dictating the trajectory of progress in the overall system. Increases in such asymmetric influence allow component firms to expand their innovation output. Using historical patenting data in the personal computer ecosystem, we develop fine-grained measures of interdependence between component technologies and changes in them over time. We find strong support for the empirical implications of our theory.
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In this paper we extend established concepts of product and process architectures to propose a concept of organization architecture that defines the essential features of the…
Abstract
In this paper we extend established concepts of product and process architectures to propose a concept of organization architecture that defines the essential features of the system design of an organization needed to achieve an effective strategic alignment of an organization with its competitive and/or cooperative environment. Adopting a work process view of organization, we draw on concepts of product and process architectures to elaborate fundamental elements in the design of an organization architecture. We suggest that organization architectures may be designed to support four basic types of change in organization resources, capabilities, and coordination, which we characterize as convergence, reconfiguration, absorptive integration, and architectural transformation. We also suggest the kinds of strategic flexibilities that an organization must have to create and implement each type of organization architecture. We identify four basic types of strategic environments and consider the kinds of changes in resources, capabilities, and coordination that need to be designed into an organization's architecture to maintain effective strategic alignment with its type of environment. We then propose a typology that identifies four basic ways in which organizational architectures may be effectively aligned with strategic environments. Extending the reasoning underlying the proposed alignments of organization architectures with strategic environments, we propose a strategic principle of architectural isomorphism, which holds that maintaining effective strategic alignment of an organization with its environment requires achieving isomorphism across a firm's product, process, and organization architectures. We conclude by considering some implications of the analyses undertaken here for competence theory, general and mid-range strategy theory, and organization theory.
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Sebastian Pashaei and Jan Olhager
The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the extant literature on the relationship between product architectures and supply chain design to identify gaps in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the extant literature on the relationship between product architectures and supply chain design to identify gaps in the literature and identify future research opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines the peer-reviewed literature on product architectures and supply chain written in English. The search strategy is based on selected databases and keywords. In total, 56 articles from 1995 to 2013 were identified.
Findings
Three key dimensions are identified for the categorization of the literature: the type of product architecture, the type of supply chain and the research methodology. Furthermore, we identify themes related to outsourcing, supplier selection, supplier relationships, distance from focal firm and alignment.
Research limitations/implications
The present search strategy may have missed some references that are related to the area. However, as a counter-measure, we used back-tracking and forward-tracking to identify additional relevant papers. A research agenda is proposed for further research on the interaction of product architectures and supply chain design.
Originality/value
This paper is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first broad review that investigates the interrelationship between product architectures and supply chain design.
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Hua Wang and Chris Kimble
The article shows how changes in product architecture have become the driving force behind a breakthrough strategy that has enabled Chinese carmakers to produce vehicles that are…
Abstract
Purpose
The article shows how changes in product architecture have become the driving force behind a breakthrough strategy that has enabled Chinese carmakers to produce vehicles that are broadly equivalent to the products of western carmakers but at a fraction of the price.
Design/methodology/approach
The article presents an analysis of the development of a strategy based in an innovative product architecture used by a Chinese carmaker. The analysis covers the period between 1998 and 2006 and presents the results of a longitudinal study carried out by one of the authors in China between 2002 and 2007.
Findings
The article uses the literature on product architecture and breakthrough strategy to describe a quasi‐open modular product architecture used by Chinese carmakers. It provides an historical account of one company's approach to car making using this strategy and describes how it has allowed it to move from being a manufacturer of refrigerators to the ninth largest carmaker in China in period of ten years.
Practical implications
The article highlights the strategic potential of innovations in product architecture in general and that of quasi‐open modular architectures in particular. It also highlights the role of the emerging markets in China as the source of potential drivers for breakthrough strategies and as a threat to the current position of western carmakers.
Originality/value
This article uses evidence based on direct observation to describe a novel approach to product architecture that has been pioneered in the emergent markets in China.
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Sebastian Pashaei and Jan Olhager
The purpose of this paper is to explore how integral and modular product architectures influence the design properties of the global operations network.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how integral and modular product architectures influence the design properties of the global operations network.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors perform a multiple-case study of three global manufacturing companies, using interviews, seminars and structured questionnaires to identify ideal design properties.
Findings
The authors find that the choice of integral vs modular product architecture lead to significant differences in the preferred design properties of global operations networks concerning number of key technologies in-house, number of capable plants, focus at assembly plants, distance between assembly plant and market, and number of key supplier sites. Two of these were identified through this research, i.e. the number of capable plants and number of key supplier sites. The authors make a distinction between component and assembly plants, which adds detail to the understanding of the impact of product architecture on global operations. In addition, they develop five propositions that can be tested in further survey research.
Research limitations/implications
This study is restricted to three large manufacturing companies with global operations. However, the authors investigated both integral and modular products at these three companies and their associated global operations network. Still, further case or survey research involving a broader set of companies is warranted.
Practical implications
The key aspects for integral products are to have many key technologies in-house, concentration of production at a few capable plants, and economies-of-scale at assembly plants, while long distances between assembly plants and markets as well as few key supplier sites are acceptable. For modular products, the key aspects are many capable plants, economies-of-scope at assembly plants, short distance between assembly plants and markets, and many key supplier sites, while key technologies do not necessarily have to reside in-house – these can be accessed via key suppliers.
Originality/value
This paper is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first study on the explicit impact of product architecture on global operations networks, especially considering the internal manufacturing network.
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Ron Sanchez and Chang Chieh Hang
In this paper we appraise the ways in which use of closed-system proprietary product architectures versus open-system modular product architectures is likely to influence the…
Abstract
In this paper we appraise the ways in which use of closed-system proprietary product architectures versus open-system modular product architectures is likely to influence the dynamics and trajectory of new product market formation. We compare the evolutions of new markets in China for gas-powered two-wheeled vehicles (G2WVs) based (initially) on closed-system proprietary architectures and for electric-powered two-wheeled vehicles (E2WVs) based on open-system modular architectures. We draw on this comparison to suggest ways in which the use of the two different kinds of architectures as the basis for new kinds of products may result in very different patterns and speeds of new market formation. We then suggest some key implications of the different dynamics of market formation associated with open-system modular architectures for both the competence-based strategic management (CBSM) of firms and for technology and economic development policies of governments.
Specifically, we suggest how the use of open-system modular product architectures as the basis for new products is likely to result in dynamics of new market formation that call for new approaches to the strategic management of innovation and product creation. We also suggest technology and economic development policies favoring use of open-system modular architectures may stimulate new market formation and related economic development by providing platforms for accelerating technology development and dissemination, facilitating the formation of an industrial base of assemblers and component suppliers, assisting new firms in building customer relationships, enabling more geographically diffused economic development within countries, and facilitating development of export markets. We also suggest directions for further research into the potential for open-system modular product architectures to enable bottom-of-the-pyramid innovation processes, frugal engineering in developing economies, and development of low-cost product variations more generally.
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Kristoffer Vandrup Sigsgaard, Iman Soleymani, Niels Henrik Mortensen, Waqas Khalid and Kasper Barslund Hansen
This paper aims to investigate how the product architecture and service architecture methodology can be applied in strategic maintenance optimization to reduce the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate how the product architecture and service architecture methodology can be applied in strategic maintenance optimization to reduce the non-value-adding variance of maintenance, decrease the complexity and ensure alignment in maintenance practices in asset-intensive companies. The proposed maintenance architecture model will make it possible to make data-driven decisions regarding how the equipment should be grouped and maintained.
Design/methodology/approach
The research approach is considered exploratory, and the main research strategy is a case study. The maintenance architecture model is developed based on the product architecture methodology and then tested in three different cases in the oil and gas sector.
Findings
Through the maintenance architecture model, it is possible to pair a quantitative data-driven approach with qualitative understanding of dependencies between equipment, maintenance actions and maintenance work management processes, enabling a more holistic and top-down data-driven approach to improving maintenance, than what currently exists in literature.
Originality/value
The proposed model provides a contribution to the understanding of maintenance and is positioned at a detailed level, different from other maintenance improvement models. This model is focused on the main drivers of maintenance that can be utilized at the strategic level compared to optimization of maintenance for individual pieces of equipment.
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A.H.M. Shamsuzzoha and Petri T. Helo
The purpose of this paper is to help organizational managers to keep track of the information management needed not only for product design and development but also to track…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to help organizational managers to keep track of the information management needed not only for product design and development but also to track between different organizational levels.
Design/methodology/approach
The research objectives are achieved through implementing the concept in a case company, where various measures of information management are taken into consideration. This empirical study is conducted with a view to formulating and validating the information flow among product development (PD) participants.
Findings
The strategic management of information exchange transforms the nature of competition through reducing complexities in product design and bringing flexibility into the production process. This achievement could orientate firms towards rapid and continuous growth of their PD strategies, which are essential for survival in a global business environment.
Research limitations/implications
This research was conducted through a single case study approach, which limits its scope for generalizing the concept. It would be more authentic if the approach was validated over multiple case studies.
Practical implications
Managing the information flow among PD participants has been considered to be an important issue in today's competitive business environment. It helps to formulate the design architecture, both at the product and organizational level.
Originality/value
The strategic management of information exchange transforms the structure of product architecture, which helps to reduce the complexities in product design and bring flexibility into the production process. The presented approach shows the intrinsic relationships between firms' resources and customers' requirements, which could help product developers to improve their production flexibility, overcome bottlenecks and achieve product customization.
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