Product Development

Profilerating product complexity has numerous reasons and consequences for the whole enterprise. Often these are unknown. The management of product complexity addresses neither the unifold maximization nor the minimization of product diversity. Managing product complexity, i. e. product range, product sequence and product assembly, means to achieve an optimum where high cus-tomer value can be reached whilst maintaining comparatively low cost of production. The VMEA method (Variant Mode and Effects Analysis) is designed and proven for the optimization of both the product assembly and the product functions. It facilitates a systematic and consequent approach to managing product complexity. Thus product complexity can be used as strategic success position and competitive advantage.

Together with the companies Alcatel SEL, Knorr-Bremse, Rohde&Schwarz, Temic and Webasto by leadership of the author a BMBF sponsored research project has been carried out. The task and target of the project partners was to develop a reliable and workable forecasting model for duration and effort of an industrial development project. Up to now there is a lack of a systematic approach to forecast and to plan development time considering dynamic changes of the frame conditions. The following article describes the development and successful implementation of a forecasting model for development times and shows the effects by picturing and describing two case studies.