Front-Loading Problem-Solving in Co-Development : Managing the Contractual, Organizational and Cognitive Dimensions

Front-loading ” problem-solving is one of the major strategies to reduce development costs and development lead time. In co-development situations, the implementation of such methodologies rises specific questions, due to the difficult partition in responsabilities and skills between the car manufacturer and the supplier, especially when customer and supplier contributions cannot be clearly interfaced in a “ black-box sourcing ” relation. This results in a difficult and permanent debate about design modifications. The article analyses such a co-development situation in the case of a car manufacturer and its die design and engineering suppliers. The case illustrate how to combine organizational integration (i.e. co-localization, shared development methodologies) with new economic contracting rules which create front-loading problem-solving incentives for the two partners. We compare the economic outcomes of a traditional process with a co-developped project, from the viewpoint of both the customer and the suppliers. The study demonstrates how co-development played a major role in reducing the number and cost of modifications for the customer. The benefits which suppliers can earn depend on their ability to involve in the project in terms of design and engineering capacity at an early stage. These results generate theoretical outputs which bridge the gap between incentive and contract theories on one side, and cognitive and learning fields on the other."concurrent engineering";" co-development";"contracts";" learning";"die design"

Front-Loading Problem Solving in co-Development : Managing the Contractual Organizational and Cognitive Dimensions

“ Front-loading ” problem-solving (Thomke et Fujimoto, 2000) is one of the major strategies to reduce development costs and development lead time (Midler, 1995, p 369). In co-development situations, the implementation of such methodologies rises specific questions, due to the difficult partitions in responsabilities and skills between the car manufacturer and the supplier. The problem is particularly important when customer and supplier contributions cannot be clearly interfaced in a “ black-box sourcing ” relation. The result is a difficult and permanent debate about design modifications.

Is Co-Development a Win-Win Partnership ? - the Case of die Design in Auto Industry

The innovation imperative has never been more critical. The last decade has seen a spectacular growth of innovation-based competition. Why and how do intensive innovation strategies emerge and develop in various sectors ? Who are the key economic players in this ongoing transition ? How do they combine product development focus with pre- and cross-project knowledge management… This book explores a large variety of contexts : automobile constructor-suppliers co-design, construction business, transnational missile projects, science-based pharmaceutics, chemical and steel industry to clothing and artistic activities

Front-Loading Problem-Solving in Co-Development : Managing the Contractual, Organizational and Cognitive Dimensions

Front-loading ” problem-solving is one of the major strategies to reduce development costs and development lead time. In co-development situations, the implementation of such methodologies rises specific questions, due to the difficult partition in responsabilities and skills between the car manufacturer and the supplier, especially when customer and supplier contributions cannot be clearly interfaced in a “ black-box sourcing ” relation. This results in a difficult and permanent debate about design modifications. The article analyses such a co-development situation in the case of a car manufacturer and its die design and engineering suppliers. The case illustrate how to combine organizational integration (i.e. co-localization, shared development methodologies) with new economic contracting rules which create front-loading problem-solving incentives for the two partners. We compare the economic outcomes of a traditional process with a co-developped project, from the viewpoint of both the customer and the suppliers. The study demonstrates how co-development played a major role in reducing the number and cost of modifications for the customer. The benefits which suppliers can earn depend on their ability to involve in the project in terms of design and engineering capacity at an early stage. These results generate theoretical outputs which bridge the gap between incentive and contract theories on one side, and cognitive and learning fields on the other

Managing exploratory innovation

Although the concept of exploration has been widely used in management research since James March's seminal article, the literature on exploration remains rather fuzzy. The question of exploration is dominated by the literature on ambidexterity but this research actually says little about concretely managing exploratory innovation itself, although this appears to be a central concern of most industrial firms today. Based on a material (twenty presentations made in a research seminar the authors have organized in the last two years) and a critical review of the literature, this paper provides new theoretical and managerial insights on the management of exploratory innovation. We first identify three complementary perspectives: 1. Managing knowledge for exploration, 2. Organizing for exploration, and 3. Creating new value spaces. Secondly, we recommend focusing the management of exploratory innovation on the following two processes: identifying an exploratory field, creating new opportunities via experimentation.Exploration, management of innovation, knowledge, value spaces

Le co-developpement, définitions, enjeux et problèmes

Co-development: Definition, Advantages and Issues, The Automobile Industry Case. The term co-development is defined as a mode of cooperation during the product development between suppliers and buyers and its five main characteristics are explained. The importance and the issues observed during the implementation of codevelopment in different fields of activity are discussed in the following, illustrated with examples based on field research.Pour concilier deux courants antagonistes de transformation des entreprises -spécialisation et concentration à l'échelle mondiale, et rénovation des processus de conception mettant l'accent sur l'importance d'une coopération étroite des différents spécialistes- de nouvelles pratiques de relations entre firmes se développent : partenariat de conception, co-développement. Que recouvrent ces notions, quels sont les enjeux et les problèmes posés par ces nouvelles pratiques

Quand les individus et les collectifs sociaux sont mis en danger par le travail en projet.

L'activité projet incarne dans une certaine littérature managériale participe au mythe de l'action heureuse. Investissez-vous au travail ! Epanouissez-vous en projet ! Mais le projet n'est-il pas aussi destructeur de sens, porteur de pathologies et de déstabilisations ? En entreprise, les projets sont devenus de formidables machines à exiger et à juger les individus. Bref, le « coté sombre » des projets existe. Cette communication s'efforce d'en proposer une structuration provisoire en mobilisant la littérature managériale, embryonnaire sur le sujet et de nombreux verbatims d'acteurs projets. Elle distingue trois catégories de risques et d'excès du mode projet : les effets sur l'individu de l'excès d'implication dans le en projet (1. ), les impacts du travail en projet sur les identités professionnelles et sur les modalités d'exercice des expertises (2. ) ainsi que sur les compétences et sur la cohérence du parcours de carrière de celui qui s'engage dans un projet (3. ).

Le co-developpement, définitions, enjeux et problèmes

Pour concilier deux courants antagonistes de transformation des entreprises -spécialisation et concentration à l'échelle mondiale, et rénovation des processus de conception mettant l'accent sur l'importance d'une coopération étroite des différents spécialistes- de nouvelles pratiques de relations entre firmes se développent : partenariat de conception, co-développement. Que recouvrent ces notions, quels sont les enjeux et les problèmes posés par ces nouvelles pratiques?

Managing exploratory innovation

Although the concept of exploration has been widely used in management research since James March's seminal article, the literature on exploration remains rather fuzzy. The question of exploration is dominated by the literature on ambidexterity but this research actually says little about concretely managing exploratory innovation itself, although this appears to be a central concern of most industrial firms today. Based on a material (twenty presentations made in a research seminar the authors have organized in the last two years) and a critical review of the literature, this paper provides new theoretical and managerial insights on the management of exploratory innovation. We first identify three complementary perspectives: 1. Managing knowledge for exploration, 2. Organizing for exploration, and 3. Creating new value spaces. Secondly, we recommend focusing the management of exploratory innovation on the following two processes: identifying an exploratory field, creating new opportunities via experimentation