Product development is a critical field for company’s success due to the fact, that here a major part of the product costs are determined. Therefore, efforts are made to shorten product development times by using organizational or technological measures. At the same time, quality has to be increased and total product costs reduced. Technological measures are e.g., IT-Tools, whereas organizational is referred to the structure or sequence of processes. Through increasing the efficiency of product development processes, it is possible to reduce lead time and costs while enhancing the quality.
As one method, product development processes can be paralleled. New methods of development arose like e.g., concurrent or simultaneous engineering. To reduce time even more, a globally distributed method of developing came up, which is especially suited for large, “global player” companies. A so called 24hr–Design and Development project (24hr-DD project) was brought into life by the BMW Group as a part of a research project. In the beginning of this year it was tried out by students in order to clarify the feasibility of this distributed product development.
It showed, that this kind of project works well, but still it is not clear, what the potentials are in respect to time, quality and costs. This thesis tries to clear out these obscurities with the example of the 24hr-Design and Development project and gives recommendations how to use the potentials of time- and moneysaving and of the increase in quality.
The thesis starts with the description of the 24hr-Design and Development project, keeps going with an explanation of the actual company goals, the basics of process improvement and the basics of distributed development. The second large part is the evaluation of the potentials in respect of time, quality and costs. This is followed by measures, which can help to increase the quality and reduce time and costs. These suggestions refer to the fields of development methods, team structure, organizational structure, tools, process etc. The thesis closes with a summary of the subjects mentioned above and an outlook into the future.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The 24hr-Design and Development Project at the BMW Group
- Basics
- Goals of companies in the present
- Development Process as one way to achieve goals
- Definition of "product development process"
- Why product development process?
- Business Process Improvement with respect to Development Process
- Basics of distributed development
- Distributed Development (DD)
- Concurrent Engineering (CE)
- Simultaneous Engineering (SE)
- Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)
- 24hr- Product Development (24hr-PD)
- But what is the reason for a 24hr-Product Development?
- Estimation of the results of the 24hr-PD-Project
- How to measure the success of a project
- Evaluation Methods
- Balanced Scorecard (BSC)
- Intangible Assets Monitor (IAM)
- Target Costing (TC)
- Activity Based Costing
- Simple Measurement System (SMS)
- Questionnaire
- Project-Review
- Suggestions for Improvement
- Lessons Learned (LL)
- Capability Maturity Model (CMM)
- Benchmarking
- Problems with evaluation
- Measurement of Quality
- Measurement of Costs
- Measurement of Time
- What potentials exist in respect to time, money, and quality
- Tools
- Requirements on tools
- CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work)
- Adequate CSCW tools for a 24hr-DD project and problems
- CAD
- Document Management
- Hyperwave Information Server (HIS) and Document Management
- Taxonomy system
- Needed tools for a 24hr-DD project
- Use of CSCW tools
- Three point video conference
- Organization
- The group organization
- Project Management
- Group Organization
- Adequate leading style
- Structure of the project members
- Communication
- Communication aspects in distributed development
- Private communication
- Experiences in the project and advises
- Exchange Time
- Decision making
- Motivation
- Motivation in this project
- Transferability to other projects
- What to do
- Teambuilding
- Why influence on team structure?
- Basics of a team
- Requirements on teams in general
- Requirements on team members
- What to do
- Experiences in this distributed project
- Size of the team
- Culture
- Trust
- The course of a 24hr-DD project
- Possible distribution ways – temporal vs. functional distribution
- Organization of the course of development projects
- Gateways
- Kick-off meeting:
- Project planning phase
- Summary and Outlook
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis examines the feasibility and potential of the 24hr-Design and Development (24hr-DD) project, a globally distributed product development method pioneered by the BMW Group. It aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the project's potential in terms of time, quality, and cost savings. The key themes explored in this thesis include:- Distributed development methodologies and their application in the 24hr-DD project.
- The importance of tools and communication in facilitating successful distributed product development.
- The role of organizational structure and team dynamics in optimizing performance in a distributed project.
- The potential for cost and time savings, as well as quality enhancements, through the implementation of a 24hr-DD approach.
- Recommendations for future implementation and adaptation of the 24hr-DD model.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction outlines the context for this research, highlighting the increasing pressure for shortened product development cycles in today's competitive global market. It explains the importance of streamlining product development processes and the emergence of distributed development methodologies. The thesis focuses on the 24hr-DD project as a case study, examining its effectiveness and exploring potential improvements.
Chapter 3 provides a detailed description of the 24hr-DD project, outlining its origins, objectives, and the participating teams from the Technische Universität Munich, Clemson University, and Darmstadt University of Technology. It explains the challenges of coordinating teams across multiple locations and the project's innovative time management approach.
Chapter 4 establishes the theoretical foundation for the project by examining the goals of companies in the current market, the importance of the product development process, and the different approaches to process improvement. It then dives into the specifics of distributed development, explaining various methodologies like concurrent, simultaneous, and computer-supported cooperative work, and introducing the concept of 24hr-Product Development.
Chapter 5 focuses on evaluating the success of the 24hr-DD project through a range of methods, including balanced scorecard, intangible assets monitor, target costing, activity-based costing, and various other metrics. It discusses the challenges of measuring project success in a distributed setting.
Chapter 6 delves into the potential benefits of the 24hr-DD project in terms of time, money, and quality. It explores the use of various tools, including CSCW tools, CAD software, document management systems, and video conferencing. It also examines the critical roles of organizational structure, communication strategies, team motivation, and team building in fostering a successful distributed project.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This thesis centers on the concepts of distributed product development, 24hr-Design and Development, global collaboration, process optimization, time-to-market, product development process, concurrent engineering, simultaneous engineering, CSCW, project management, team building, communication strategies, and performance evaluation. It explores the use of various tools and methodologies to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and quality in a globally distributed project environment. - Tools
- Quote paper
- Mirja Beukenberg (Author), 2000, Identifying the potentials and necessary support for 24-h around the world, around the clock product development, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/185484