Identifying the potentials and necessary support for 24-h around the world, around the clock product development

Table of Contents

2. Introduction

3. The 24hr-Design and Development Project at the BMW Group

4. Basics

4.1 Goals of companies in the present

4.2 Development Process as one way to achieve goals

4.2.1 Definition of “product development process”

4.2.2 Why product development process?

4.3 Business Process Improvement with respect to Development Process

4.4 Basics of distributed development

4.4.1 Distributed Development (DD)

4.4.2 Concurrent Engineering (CE)

4.4.3 Simultaneous Engineering (SE)

4.4.4 Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)

4.4.5 24hr- Product Development (24hr-PD)

4.4.6 But what is the reason for a 24hr-Product Development?

5. Estimation of the results of the 24hr-PD-Project

5.1 How to measure the success of a project

5.2 Evaluation Methods

5.2.1 Balanced Scorecard (BSC)

5.2.2 Intangible Assets Monitor (IAM)

5.2.3 Target Costing (TC)

5.2.4 Activity Based Costing

5.2.5 Simple Measurement System (SMS)

5.2.6 Questionnaire

5.2.7 Project-Review

5.2.8 Suggestions for Improvement

5.2.9 Lessons Learned (LL)

5.2.10 Capability Maturity Model (CMM)

5.2.11 Benchmarking

5.2.12 Problems with evaluation

5.3 Measurement of Quality

5.4 Measurement of Costs

5.5 Measurement of Time

6. What potentials exist in respect to time, money, and quality

6.1 Tools

6.1.1 Requirements on tools

6.1.2 CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work)

6.1.3 Adequate CSCW tools for a 24hr-DD project and problems

6.1.4 CAD

6.1.5 Document Management

6.1.6 Hyperwave Information Server (HIS) and Document Management

6.1.7 Taxonomy system

6.1.8 Needed tools for a 24hr-DD project

6.1.9 Use of CSCW tools

6.1.10 Three point video conference

6.2 Organization

6.2.1 The group organization

6.2.2 Project Management

6.2.3 Group Organization

6.2.4 Adequate leading style

6.2.5 Structure of the project members

6.3 Communication

6.3.1 Communication aspects in distributed development

6.3.2 Private communication

6.3.3 Experiences in the project and advises

6.3.4 Exchange Time

6.3.5 Decision making

6.4 Motivation

6.4.1 Motivation in this project

6.4.2 Transferability to other projects

6.4.3 What to do

6.5 Teambuilding

6.5.1 Why influence on team structure?

6.5.2 Basics of a team

6.5.3 Requirements on teams in general

6.5.4 Requirements on team members

6.5.5 What to do

6.5.6 Experiences in this distributed project

6.5.7 Size of the team

6.5.8 Culture

6.5.9 Trust

6.6 The course of a 24hr-DD project

6.6.1 Possible distribution ways – temporal vs. functional distribution

6.6.2 Organization of the course of development projects

6.6.3 Gateways

6.6.4 Kick-off meeting:

6.6.5 Project planning phase

Objectives and Research Themes

This thesis examines the feasibility and performance of a globally distributed, "follow-the-sun" product development model, specifically investigating the impact of such 24-hour design projects on development time, cost efficiency, and product quality. The research seeks to clarify whether the advantages of a continuous, globally spread workflow outweigh the organizational and technical complexities inherent in such an approach.

• Analysis of distributed product development methods (24hr-DD).
• Evaluation of key performance metrics (time, cost, quality) in distributed teams.
• Examination of the organizational requirements for global engineering success.
• Identification of essential IT tools and communication strategies for virtual project management.

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Summary of Chapters

2. Introduction: Discusses the market pressures for shorter product life cycles and introduces the 24-hour design and development project as a potential solution.

3. The 24hr-Design and Development Project at the BMW Group: Describes the specific pilot project involving three international universities and the organizational framework applied to coordinate the teams.

4. Basics: Defines the foundational concepts of modern company goals, process improvement, and distributed development methodologies.

5. Estimation of the results of the 24hr-PD-Project: Evaluates the performance of the BMW pilot project using various metrics and methods to assess impacts on quality, costs, and time.

6. What potentials exist in respect to time, money, and quality: Provides actionable guidelines for optimizing distributed projects regarding tools, organization, communication, motivation, and teambuilding.

Keywords

24hr-Design and Development, Distributed Development, Concurrent Engineering, Simultaneous Engineering, Product Development Process, Business Process Improvement, CSCW, PDM, Team Building, Project Management, Time-to-Market, Virtual Teams, Quality Assurance, Global Engineering, Automotive Industry

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research paper?

The paper focuses on the feasibility and potential benefits of "24hr-Design and Development" (24hr-DD), a globally distributed project model aimed at reducing product development cycles by leveraging multiple time zones.

What are the central thematic areas?

The central themes include process optimization in automotive engineering, management of distributed virtual teams, the selection of effective IT and collaboration tools, and the analysis of metrics for measuring quality, cost, and development time.

What is the primary goal of the study?

The primary goal is to evaluate the 24hr-DD project conducted by BMW, identifying whether the distributed approach successfully saves time and costs while maintaining high quality, and to provide recommendations for future implementation.

Which scientific methods are utilized?

The research combines theoretical literature analysis with practical evaluation methods, including the use of questionnaires, Balanced Scorecard (BSC), Target Costing, and the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) to assess project performance.

What topics are covered in the main section of the work?

The main section details the fundamental theories behind distributed engineering, presents the results of the BMW pilot study, and provides comprehensive instructions on tools (like CSCW and PDM), organization, communication, and teambuilding strategies.

Which specific keywords describe the study?

Key terms include 24hr-Design and Development, Concurrent Engineering, Distributed Development, Virtual Teams, CSCW, and Product Life Cycle management.

How were team members managed across different locations?

The leadership structure involved a central project manager supported by distribution coaches at each location to ensure smooth communication, decision-making, and consistent information flow despite the geographical separation.

What role did IT systems play in the project's success?

IT systems were critical enablers. The project relied on tools like Microsoft NetMeeting for synchronous communication, Hyperwave for document management, and various CAD software to ensure that the distributed teams could collaborate effectively.