Title: Functional product development: what information should be shared during the development process?

Authors: John Lindström; Magnus Löfstrand; Magnus Karlberg; Lennart Karlsson

Addresses: Division of Computer Aided Design, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden. ' Division of Computer Aided Design, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden. ' Division of Computer Aided Design, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden. ' Division of Computer Aided Design, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden

Abstract: The development process for a Functional Product (FP) is complex and there is a need to share information as well as to communicate it among the parties involved in the process. The paper concerns shared information that is of specific interest when developing FPs, in contrast to information that must be shared during a general product or service development process. The findings are compiled in a conceptual table comprising such specific information items pertaining to both the initial development as well as post development parts of an FP's lifecycle. This table can be used as an aid to any development process or method, as it points out information items that must necessarily be shared, but not how they to be shared.

Keywords: complexity; product development; functional products; information sharing; integrated projects; project management; development process.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2012.049059

International Journal of Product Development, 2012 Vol.16 No.2, pp.95 - 111

Received: 01 Jun 2011
Accepted: 01 May 2012
Published online: 30 Dec 2014 *

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