Exploration and Project Management

Project management in academic studies tends to be regarded as an adequate solution to the problems raised by innovation. This paper sets out to question this tendency to equate projects and innovation which, in our view, can lead to the improper use of projects to manage innovation. We argue that, in line with the work on project classification, a distinction should be made between the various types of design situations to which different types of projects are suited. Qualitative research on automotive telematics allows us to identify the management methods suited to the most innovative projects, i.e. exploration projects for which neither technologies nor customer requirements are known at the start of the project. We will show how these situations shake up traditional project management models and will propose five management principles adapted to this new situation.innovation, project management, Automotive telematics, New Product Development, exploration

Projects and innovation : the ambiguity of the literature and its implications

The strategic role of new product development and innovation makes design performance a central concern of managers. Project management therefore appears to be an adequate solution to the integration problems raised by these activities. Work such as that of Clark et Fujimoto (1991) has helped make heavyweight project management a dominant organizational model. In this article, we wish to question this tendency to equate projects and innovation. This tendency can, in fact, appear surprising inasmuch as Clark et Fujimoto indicate that their research does not take into account the question of advanced engineering or basic research. We therefore believe that it can lead to improper use of the project format to manage innovation. We feel that, in line with work on project classification a distinction should be drawn between the various design situations to which different types of projects will be suited. Qualitative research conducted at a European automobile manufacturer on Telematics services will allow us to identify the management methods suited to the most innovative projects, i.e. those for which neither technologies nor customer requirements are known at the start of the project (referred to by Atkinson et al. (2006) as “soft” projects) We will show how these situations shake up traditional project management models and will propose five management principles adapted to this new situation.innovation;Management de projet;Services;Télématique automobile

Innovation in services : the contribution of design theory

Research in economics clearly points out that our economy is increasingly dependent on services but, paradoxically, the literature on innovation remains oriented toward product. Therefore many firms lacks well-tested methods to develop new services and rely on informal and largely haphazard processes. The paper makes use the recent advances in design theory to propose an integrated model of New Service Development. It illustrates how the identification of six design parameters of a new service (target clientele, support product, contract, front et back-office processes, economic model) helps clarifying the working of NSD processes. Further the paper assigns four different uses of the model as a NSD management tool.Services;Télématique automobile;Théorie de la conception;Gestion de l'innovation

The launch of innovative services : lessons from automotive telematics

In the literature on NPD, most existing studies on the end of the design process concentrate on managing ramp-up of manufactured products. However our economies increasingly depend upon services. This article examine the management of the final phases of the design process of an innovative service. Our research make three contributions : 1) we show that the concept of ramp-up is insufficient for understanding the phenomena at works. The nature of services means that two types of learning – technical and sales – take place at the same time. 2) an analysis of the data collected confirms this difference by bringing to light great contrasts in these two dimensions. 3) This led us to identify a new field for NPD research : the design of the sales process.Management de projet;Services;Télématique automobile;Industrie automobile;Lancement de produit;Montée en cadence;Vente;Théorie de la conception;Gestion de l'innovation

Innovation in Automative Telematics Services: Characteristics of the Field and Management Priciples

The growing role of innovation in the strategy of car manufacturers leads them to relentlessly look for new sources of differentiation. In this way Telematics, a suite of technologies centered on communications systems within cars, is expected to bolster the car industry by offering a new stream of revenues. This articles focuses on the impact of this technology on design organization. In the first part, we demonstrate that Telematics is a radical innovation for automotive industry. Therefore traditional design models, such as heavyweight project management, are unsuitable. Next, the paper studies the organization adopted by a european car manufacturer in the light of recent research on the management of innovation.Management de projet;Services;Télématique automobile;Développement de nouveaux produits;Gestion de l'innovation

L'innovation dans les services : les apports de la théorie de la conception

Research in economics clearly points out that our economy is increasingly dependent on services but, paradoxically, the literature on innovation remains oriented toward tangible goods. Therefore many firms lacks well-tested methods to develop new services and rely on informal and largely haphazard processes. The paper makes use of the recent advances in design theory to propose an integrated model of New Service Development (NSD). It illustrates how the identification of six design parameters of a new service (target clientele, support product, contract, front et back-office processes, economic model) helps clarifying the working of NSD processes. Further the paper assigns four different uses of the model as a NSD management tool.Alors que nos économies dépendent de plus en plus des activités tertiaires, la littérature sur l'innovation reste majoritairement centrée sur le développement de biens tangibles. Ce manque de méthodologies adaptées aux services explique en partie les problèmes rencontrés par les entreprises. En s'appuyant sur les théories de la conception, l'article propose un modèle pour penser le développement de nouveaux services. Il montre notamment comment l'identification des paramètres de conception d'un service (usage et usager visé, produit support, contrat, processus de front et de back-office, modèle économique) aide à clarifier le déroulement du processus. Il indique ensuite quatre utilisations différentes du modèle comme outil de gestion du processus de développement

The strategy of parallel approaches in projects with unforeseeable uncertainty: the Manhattan case in retrospect

International audienceThis paper discusses the literature on the management of projects with unforeseeable uncertainty. Recent work demonstrates that, when confronted with unforeseeable uncertainties, managers can adopt either a learning, trial-and-error-based strategy, or a parallel approach. In the latter, different solutions are developed in parallel and the best one is chosen when enough information becomes available. Studying the case of the Manhattan Project, which historically exemplifies the power of the parallel approach, has lead us to show that the either/or logic underlying the existing literature on the parallel approach oversimplifies the question. The Manhattan case demonstrates that managers must not necessarily choose between solutions, but can also combine them or add new ones during the project

Projects and innovation : the ambiguity of the literature and its implications

The strategic role of new product development and innovation makes design performance a central concern of managers. Project management therefore appears to be an adequate solution to the integration problems raised by these activities. Work such as that of Clark et Fujimoto (1991) has helped make heavyweight project management a dominant organizational model. In this article, we wish to question this tendency to equate projects and innovation. This tendency can, in fact, appear surprising inasmuch as Clark et Fujimoto indicate that their research does not take into account the question of advanced engineering or basic research. We therefore believe that it can lead to improper use of the project format to manage innovation. We feel that, in line with work on project classification a distinction should be drawn between the various design situations to which different types of projects will be suited. Qualitative research conducted at a European automobile manufacturer on Telematics services will allow us to identify the management methods suited to the most innovative projects, i.e. those for which neither technologies nor customer requirements are known at the start of the project (referred to by Atkinson et al. (2006) as “soft” projects) We will show how these situations shake up traditional project management models and will propose five management principles adapted to this new situation

The Launch of Innovative Product-Related Services: Lessons from automotive telematics

In the literature on new product development, most existing studies on the end of the design process concentrate on managing ramp-up in the field of manufactured products. This situation poses a problem at a time when our economies increasingly depend upon services and products are more and more related with sophisticated services that provides value for customers and producers. This article examines the management of the final phases of the design process of an innovative product-related service. Our research thus makes three contributions: 1) An analysis of the implementation process shows that the simultaneity of the production and consumption of a service means that three types of learning – technical, sales and uses – take place at the same time. Launch management strategies have thus to be adapted. 2) An analysis of the data collected confirms this difference by bringing to light great contrasts in these different aspects of learning. 3) This led us to identify a field that needs exploration by researchers in product and services innovation: the design of the sales process. Furthermore we underline two scenarios to manage the launch of innovative product-related services.project management, Services, Automotive telematics, Product Launch, Ramp up, Innovation Management

Innovation-Based Competition and the Dynamics of Design in Upstream Suppliers

Although the evolution of the design process in car manufacturers and their first-tier suppliers has been studied extensively, the situation is different for upstream industries, usually chemical and steel firms. This article focuses on such upstream suppliers situation based on an interactive research with a major european steel-maker group, Usinor. In its first part, it demonstrate that innovation-based competition is a significant issue for companies situated upstream from end-product manufacturers. The accelerating pace of the (re)design of end products downstream is increasing opportunities for the substitution of raw materials. The importance of this issue is obscured, however, by considerable inertia in the spread of innovations through the sector. Then the article characterises the specificities of implementing an innovative design strategy due to the activity and position of the firm in the industrial chain. The conclusions will make it clear that design models developed for car-manufacturers and first tear suppliers are in many ways unsuitable for this different context. We finally propose 5 principles to evaluate and define a innovation management system in upstream suppliers." innovation";" management";" design organisation";"steel industry"