Integrating lean principles in automotive product development : breaking down barriers in culture and process

Abstract

Lean principles have been applied throughout the manufacturing industry with noted success although the process of integrating them into the entire enterprise has been complex and slow. Certain areas of the automotive industry, specifically product development, require a deeper study of its readiness to transition to lean. This thesis analyzes the product development enterprise at a large North American based auto manufacturer with respect to cultural and procedural inhibitors to becoming lean. The traditional lean principles and historical advancements in lean techniques are presented along with a description of the area studied. The scope of analysis focuses on three major phases in product development; the early concept phase, the middle core design phase and the launch phase. Recently, there has been difficulty in translating the lean principles into the product development environment. In this study, unique product development definitions of the lean principles are required and used to develop a framework for analysis. Inhibitors or barriers were discovered through interviews, observations, documentation and experience, each causing significant amounts of waste (muda). By understanding how these inhibitors affect the product development lean principles, the course of transitioning to lean can be illuminated. The system effects of the barriers and inhibitors are also described using system dynamics. Finally, conclusions are developed in order to guide the company in its quest to become lean in product development and throughout the entire enterprise.