Product modularisation and organisational coordination
by Magnus Persson; Pär Åhlström
International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management (IJATM), Vol. 13, No. 1, 2013

Abstract: Product modularisation can bring a lot of benefits, for example shorter lead-time since different modules can be developed in parallel. Existing literature proposes that by standardising interfaces, it is possible to avoid coordination problems in the development of different modules; coordination problems that might be caused by conflicts calling for management decisions. We test this assumption by investigating two modules in a new car development project. Despite having standardised and simple interfaces to other modules, managerial involvement in coordination was still needed. Hence, dividing a product into modules does not eliminate the need for a managerial hierarchy making important decisions.

Online publication date: Thu, 28-Nov-2013

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