ISSN 2736-1721
Global Journal of Business Management ISSN 6731-4538 Vol. 12 (8), pp. 001-012, August, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
New product development in multi-location R&D organization: A concurrent engineering approach
Tan Owee Kowang* and Amran Rasli
Faculty of Management and Human Resource Development, Universiti Teknologi, 81300, Skudai, Malaysia.
Accepted 27 April, 2018
Abstract
Relocating organization functional units geographically to an economically advantage location is one way for multi-national companies to improve competitive advantage. Change of company operation environment from co-location to multi-locations influences way of new product development management. This research reviewed new product development process in a multi-located research and development organization and examine elements for an efficiency new product development process. The research applied concurrent engineering approach to form a concept of concurrent new product development engineering. Seven concurrent engineering main constructs and 49 concurrent engineering critical attributes were identified. Using 98 survey data from a multi-location research and development organization, the research suggested there was no significant difference in new product development process of co-location and multi-location research and development organization. The research also revealed that efficiency concurrent new product development engineering process in multi-located research and development organizations were driven by “application of concurrent engineering tools”, followed by “top-down concurrent engineering approach” and “continuous improvement”. However, concurrent engineering “team” related attributes, which suggested by other researchers as main driver for efficiency new product development in co-located research and development organization was found less important in multi-located research and development environment
Key words: New product development, concurrent engineering, research and development, multi-location.