Roberto Marx

A comprehensive study of the transformation of the Brazilian automotive industry

This paper presents and discusses findings of a research study on the automobile sector in Brazil that is being conducted by a group of researchers in the Production Engineering Department of the University of Sao Paulo. The research is sponsored by the Brazilian Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES, a Brazilian state bank). It analyses the new configuration of this sector focusing on the technological and managerial competencies remaining in the country and the bottlenecks along the value added chain. Data presented here refers to phase one of the research, collected from 224 firms from tiers one, two and three of the automotive chain in Brazil. More information on the research that has originated this article can be found at http//www.prd.usp.br/cadeia-automotiva.

Innovative capacity maintenance by automakers in a product development outsourcing scenario: the case of VW in Brazil

This paper attempts to discuss how automotive firms could benefit from New Product Development outsourcing, without hollowing out their knowledge base, analysing which variables would have significant impact on maintenance of firm Innovative Capacity. A multiple cases study was conducted about the development of new vehicles in Brazil. The main conclusion suggests that Brazilian automakers are, so far, with current industry and product architecture structure, being able to maintain their Innovative Capacity even with initiatives of outsourcing NPD and also showed the contribution of each one of the variables found in literature and empiric research.

Como ocorrem as inovações em serviços? um estudo exploratório de empresas no Brasil

Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to improve the understanding of the phenomenon of innovation in service companies. It focuses on the idea that in order to study and understand how innovation processes take place, a more in depth study of these companies was required. Several case studies were conducted in five different service enterprises in the sector of telecommunications and computer-related activities. To describe the innovation process, the concept of “Chain of Innovation” proposed by Hansen and Birkinshaw (2007) was applied, i.e. an expanded view of the phenomenon of innovation that forms a type of chain composed by the following phases: generation of ideas; conversion (selection of ideas, including the selection, financing, and development), and diffusion. Through the cases studied, it can be seen that innovation in services follows a similar logic to that found in the literature for physical goods, especially concerning the use of the Stage-Gates’ classic model proposed by Cooper (1993).

Organização do trabalho no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos: a aplicação da engenharia simultânea em duas montadoras de veículos

To overcome the limitations of the traditional product development process and reduce product development lead times, companies are adopting a new product development approach based on concurrent engineering and multifunctional teams. In theory, this new approach significantly changes the way product development work is organized, and involves teams from various functional areas who work in concert from the inception to the conclusion of the project. However, few studies have analyzed the scope of the changes this new product development approach has wrought in company practices. In this context, this paper describes how product development work is organized in companies and discusses the differences between actual practices and theory. To this end, two case studies were carried out at automakers, which revealed that multifunction teams and concurrent activities do not ensure the effective integration of functional areas. This survey also indicated that a relevant portion of new product development activities are still performed individually, notwithstanding the potential advantages of a more flexible and autonomous team work-based organization.

New initiatives, trends and dilemmas for the Brazilian automotive industry: the case of Inovar Auto and its impacts on electromobility in Brazil

In the mid 2012, the Brazilian Government established the bases of a new industrial policy for the automotive sector. Under the acronym Inovar Auto, the complete name unfolds: programme for fostering technological innovation and densification of the automotive productive chain. This paper intends to detail and to analyse this programme, highlighting its weaknesses and strengths. With this, a comparison is to be made between previous initiatives and the one now starting. The authors also intend to analyse if and how the development of technologies associated to the electric car will effectively be fostered by the Inovar Auto, given that it is a technology pointing towards the future of the industry and does not yet count on leading technologies in world terms which, in theory, may pave the way for inserting Brazil in this market.

Exploring scenarios for the possibility of developing design and production competencies of electrical vehicles in Brazil

The aim of this study is to analyse, under the theoretical foundation of institutional and evolutionary theory, what kind of conditions would be necessary to enable market and develop competencies for electrical vehicles development in Brazil, and the assessment of possible future scenarios. Literature, secondary data documents as well as research on patent basis and interviews with relevant actors of the sector were performed, trying to map and to prospect what kind of competencies are being developed in the country. Results showed that are some small movements made towards the development of electrical mobility in the country, mainly outside traditional automotive sector, but they lack strong coordination and the support from public policies. A possible strategy, with the development of specific products, such as small urban vehicles or applications such as buses or utility vehicles, could be one way to start the development path to a local stronger industry in the near future.

A influência da orientação à geração de valor ao acionista nas práticas de gestão de pessoas no ambiente da produção

This paper aims to add to the body of knowledge about the influence of the shareholder value on people management practices, with emphasis on the production environment. The paper begins with an overview of the origins and fundaments of finance and value generation concepts for company shareholders, with the main focus on the increase of share prices. An analysis is then made of the interface between these concepts and people management practices, exploring the bidirectional nature of this interface, since the human resources function is not only influenced by company guidelines but is also considered one of the main forms for helping disseminate it, in view of its role as an agent of change in company behavior. As such, the three main elements are examined, which, according to the literature, comprise this interface: variable compensation, performance management and work autonomy. Lastly, a multiple case study is presented to verify how the financial concept of companies has been influencing these people management practices at the production level of companies operating in Brazil, and to what extent these practices have contributed to disseminate the shareholder value mentality. The findings of this study indicate that, at the conceptual level, the influence of shareholder value on people management practices is indisputable, but that in practice its effect is still only minor, although changes in this direction are already occurring.

Fordismo e novos paradigmas de produção: questões sobre a transição no Brasil

This article is an exploratory essay on the possibility of changind the fordist may of organising production processes towards greater flexibility. Some changes in Brazil are illustrated through cases in the footwear and automobile industries. It seems that the modernisation wave is taking place mostly in externally oriented sectors. Further, there is little evidence of a radical shift towards flexibility in any sector. Instead, firms are changing in a slow step-by-step pattern.

CONHECIMENTO DE ARQUITETURA DE PRODUTO COMO ELEMENTO CHAVE PARA A MANUTENÇÃO DA CAPACIDADE INOVADORA DE UMA EMPRESA – O CASO DA INDÚSTRIA AUTOMOTIVA

O Conhecimento de arquitetura de produto pode ser definido como o conhecimento requerido para unir diferentes modulos e componentes em um sistema coerente, com funcionalidade integrada. Este conhecimento seria fundamental para transformar em especificacoes funcionais de produtos os desejos e necessidades do mercado consumidor e assim, manter a capacidade de uma empresa inovar em determinado mercado, a partir de um dado paradigma tecnologico. Atraves de um estudo de caso sobre o desenvolvimento de um dos veiculos populares mais vendidos no Brasil, este trabalho procura discutir como este conhecimento influencia a manutencao da capacidade de inovar de uma montadora de veiculos. A conclusao e de que o conhecimento de arquitetura ainda e uma competencia exclusiva das montadoras. E atraves desta competencia que a montadora continua capaz de detectar as necessidades e desejos do mercado e traduzi-las especificacoes de um produto que as atenda. E os fornecedores, dentro desse mesmo paradigma tecnologico, nao possuiriam essa competencia.

Contribuição aos critérios de projeto organizacional para inovação na indústria petroquímica brasileira

The Petrochemical Industry (including the Brazilian Petrochemical industry) is a well-established and mature sector that has always introduced product and process incremental innovation. On the other hand, in order to maintain its competitiveness, this sector needs more radical innovation. According to the literature, companies that need both incremental and radical innovation should adopt an Ambidextrous Organization (or Semi-Structured Organization) using processes, management tools, and structures suitable for each innovation project. But how exactly should this ambidextrous organization be? This study attempts to contribute to this discussion by proposing criteria for an Organizational Design suitable for the development of incremental and radical innovations in a systematic manner in consolidated companies in mature industries, assuming that there would be no single model to be prescribed. The research method used was the multiple-case study of three innovative companies, in which eleven innovation projects were analyzed. The results indicate that although there is a concern about dividing structures for the development of incremental and radical innovations, in practice, there is no significant difference in the way projects are conducted. The model proposed offers a set of guidelines and criteria for each company to adapt its structure and processes to the different challenges faced by innovation projects at each stage of their development.