A System Architecture Approach to Global Product Development
Author(s)
Tripathy, Anshuman
Eppinger, Steven D.
Date Issued
April 20, 2007
Series/Report no.
MIT Sloan School of Management Working Paper
4645-07
Abstract
Recent advances in engineering collaboration tools and internet technology have enabled the
distribution of product development tasks to offshore sites and global outsourcing partners while still
maintaining a tightly connected process. Most firms in complex engineering industries are indeed
experimenting with various ways to structure their product development processes on a global basis. In
this research, we have explored global product development structures from the perspectives of process
flow and system architecture. We employ the design structure matrix method to display and explain
these structures and our observations thereof. Through five case studies spanning electronics,
equipment, and aerospace industries, we consider the interaction complexity inherent in various global
work distribution strategies. We conclude the paper with a summary and directions for future research
work.
Subjects
Global Product Development
System Architecture
Persistent DSpace Link
