Modularization of Product Development in Global Manufacturing Companies

Strong market segmentation and rapidly changing diverse technologies, combined with increased competitive intensity, are forcing global manufacturing companies to reconsider their product development strategy. Modularization in product development is essential for these companies to compete sustainably in such an international and dynamic environment. However, companies face major challenges in the modularization of product development. This dissertation empirically analyzes the modularization of product development in global manufacturing companies with special regard given to the interrelations between product architecture and product development organization in order to determine implications for research and practice. The analysis is based on five detailed empirical case studies of the manufacturing industry.