Paulo Tromboni de Souza Nascimento

Supplier involvement in flex-fuel technology development: The general motors and Volkswagen Brazilian cases

The development of the flex-fuel vehicle, capable of operating with any blend of gasoline and ethanol between E25 and E100, has reached a huge commercial success in Brazil since 2003. 9 out of 10 cars sold are now equipped with flex-fuel technology. This success is based on several factors such as the creation of the Brazilian Pró-álcool Program and the introduction of the electronic injection. The introduction of this technology in the beginning of 2003 by Brazilian automakers illustrates two different strategies of supplier involvement in technology development: black box and co-design. This paper presents a cases study of how two mature automakers installed in Brazil developed flex-fuel technologies. We discuss the relationship between the technology platforms (engine management system which include sensors, control systems, data processing units, etc.) upon which the flex-fuel technology has been developed and competitive capabilities both in the automakers and its suppliers. We than analyze the implications for the development of flex-fuel technologies in Brazil as technology dominance on the motor control electronics and software. Black box e and co design strategies provide differing routes in time to market and cost but may have differential results concerning long term buyer supplier relationships.

Portfolio generation goes beyond project selection: interdependencies must drive new alternatives creation

Centrada na Selecao de Projetos, a literatura de gestao de carteiras trata os projetos como pacotes fechados prontos para escolha. Contudo, para gerar uma carteira, tais pacotes precisam ser abertos para revelar as fontes interiores das interdependencias entre eles. Na sequencia, os elementos dos projetos encontrados nessa analise podem ser recombinados em novas alternativas que melhor expressem as sinergias entre os projetos e evitem suas interacoes negativas. Assim, a mera Selecao de Projetos pode ser superada por um processo de Geracao da Carteira de Projetos que se apoia num processo de reformulacao de projetos e carteiras.

Exogenous Factors in the Development of Flexible Fuel Cars as a Local Dominant Technology

With flexible fuel technology, customers can choose among gasoline, ethanol, or any mix thereof at the fuel station pump. This paper presents the endogenous and exogenous factors that influnced the development of a flexible fuel electronic injection system by Magneti Marelli Automotive Systems Brazil – the first to the market. This software-based technological architecture, launched commercially in 2003, is now the dominant flexfuel design in the Brazilian market. This article documents the emergence of a local dominant technology (design) in a specific car sub-system. It is shown how exogenous institutional factors played the major role in this process. The paper describes how this local dominant technological design emerged through the sharing of capabilities and interaction among the key market players, in the absence of a strong appropriability regime. All the main market pioneers were multinational affiliates, inviting questions concerning this technology diffusion outside Brazil.

As orientações estratégicas da inovação em produtos populares

At affluent markets, the literature on product development management tells us to aggregate value and technology, to differentiate products and to launch fast. And at the low-income markets? This exploratory research defines a popular product, characterizes and measures their markets in Brazil, and identifies innovation strategies for them. The results suggest that the effective strategic orientation differs from affluent markets. It includes: to enhance the auto service component; to identify and service the key functionalities to the targeted public; to standardize products and increase the production scale; to extend the product life cycle; to use convenient distribution and marketing channels; to build product images that have appeal in the popular market; to offer longer financing horizons with befittingly lower installments. Data came from market researches and general demographic census. General media published stories were used to identify companies and their strategies. And a few case studies allowed the authors a deeper exploration of the relevant themes.

A Gestão do Desenvolvimento de Produtos na Indústria de Materiais de Construção

Abstract This qualitative and exploratory study, focusing on Cecrisa and Tigre, both leaders in the building material supply industry, attempts to identify the degree of formalization, the stages of the product development process (PDP) and the unique characteristics of the industry, comparing them with the reviewed literature. With the exception of some relevant differences, practices were up-to-date in relation to the literature and processes and structures were found to be formal and organized. Nevertheless, there are some relevant disparities. The findings of the study showed that in this sector incremental projects prevail, many oriented to topological projects. The process of capturing ideas gathers a larger amount of information, and in the concept development phase Cecrisa stands out because it includes expert opinions on the image of the product line, which may be used in its advertising. Cecrisa also stands out in the product design phase due to its development in the initial stages using raw materials and the final production process. Both companies launch their products internally, although each company does so in a different way, even though this phase is not included in the literature. These companies have lightweight projects because they are small, with smaller hierarchical distances, where formal and informal meetings are constantly held to discuss projects.

Project management with high complexity and uncertainty in a government organization: A case study of the Sao Paulo Tax Invoice system development

This case study analyzes the development of an incentive system to avoid fiscal evasion. It is named Sao Paulo Tax Invoice. It is an innovative way to use Information Technology (IT) to enforce tax collect in the retail sector. It was started in 2007 by the State of Sao Paulo Treasury. The government stimulates product buyers to ask for a tax receipt, at the checkout on retail stores, by returning to them a percentage of the tax paid by the store. Every six months the treasury calculates a tax devolution and consumers can register online and choose to receive the money directly on a bank account or through a states tax deduction. Another incentive is an automatic lottery draw system that distribute money prizes and rewards to assiduous users. These became the motto of the marketing campaign, “the more you ask, the more you gain”, with massive advertising, including television commercials, resulting in more than 17 million users registered. The objective of this paper is to address this initiative origin and its development process. Our results show that due to the political importance and many uncertainties involved, the project leader adopted a non conventional project management approach. Studies suggest there was a 22% increase in fiscal revenue in first years, indicating the systems success.

Organização: critérios para uma concepção crítica e objetiva

The concept of organization is often used in subjective, vague and even wrong ways. In this paper, the aim is to find criteria to objectively criticize and judge definitions applied in management research. The adopted approach is to depart from Barnards conception (1942) and to establish a dialogue with the scientific management literature. Rationalistic and formalistic conceptions are criticized. These ideas are replaced by correspondence between results and stakeholders demands. The focus on meaning is abandoned, in favor of an open social systems idea with work division, actual cooperation and power relations, and reproduction sustained by exchange with the organization social environment. In conclusion, a set of criteria is formulated to evaluate the objective and critical character of any proposed formal definition of organization.

Brazilian franchisor: Entry and operation of internationalized franchise

This study aimed to compare the entry and operations strategies of franchisors of developed countries into foreign countries with Brazilian counterparts. Were there significant differences? An exploratory study was conducted with 16 international franchisors operating in Brazil and 31 Brazilian franchisors operating abroad. The results show that international franchisors operating abroad prefer to use a subsidiary in the destination country. At the same time, this strategy is little used by Brazilian franchisors, which prefer the strategy of direct franchises. For data collection, 47 directors or managers of the international expansion of Brazilian companies and the expansion directors of the international companies which operates in Brazil were interviewed. Although more expensive, the subsidiary in the target country offers greater control over the expansion of business reducing the problems caused by the distance of the country of origin. For the management of franchisors, this paper points out that the subsidiary is a natural evolution of entry and operation mode when it is desired or it is needed to control the expansion of networks in other countries. Thus, managers of franchisors in emerging countries should carefully examine the subsidiary option in the target country when their company considers accelerating international growth.

Costs and benefits of following cost strategies in Value Chains

This paper looks into how cost-based competitive priorities affect a firms upgrading in its value chain. The literature still consider cost-based competitive priorities relevant for firms under diverse strategic positioning, despite recommending contingencies for avoiding shortsighted approaches. It is opportune to understand how that holds under the perspective of Global Value Chains literature, since upgrading is one of its central concepts and represents the dynamic by which a firm is able to reach better positions in the value generation process. Researchers and practitioners have considered this dynamic a way for avoiding predatory competition, reinforcing the dangers of employing short-term strategies when pursuing it. The research question is: How cost-based strategies interfere in suppliers upgrading in a value chain? A multi-case study in the Serious Games segment of the Digital Games Industry allows advancing this investigation. These games have purposes other than entertainment, usually focusing on supporting skills learning or acquisition and find applications in very diverse fields. Results suggest that cost based strategies have greater chances of leading a supplier towards upgrading when self-imposed, compared to when derived from the leading firms guidance.

Fuzzy Front End integration: Describing roles and defining boundaries on multi companies

The Fuzzy Front End (FFE) is the early phase of the Product Development Process, responsible for the idea generation and an important driver of Innovation success, but with difficulties such as its dynamism and ambiguity. The models developed in the literature have not discussed the roles and activities. To tackle this issue, this research aims to examine the division of labor and its logic in a complex industry. The main question that guided this research is “how is the integration among companies in the FFE in a complex industry?” This is a qualitative and exploratory research, based on multiple-cases-studies, analyzing the projects of chain constituent parties of the packaging industry, which has a complex and problematic relation among its parties, Brand Owner, Design Agencies and Packaging Producers. Each project was classified by type of innovation, strategy, the way of relationship among companies; and checked the division of labor for activities of opportunity identification, target and technology evaluation, ideas generation and screening; explaining the logic of involvement of each company in each project. There are different roles among the agents because some contingencies such as degree of strategic importance, degree of novelty, reputation, and reliability mediated their relationships.