Sudi Sharifi

Physical or virtual team collocation: Does it matter?

Abstract The aim of this paper is to examine aspects of team collocation within the context of Concurrent Engineering (CE). The paper considers the product design as an incremental innovation process. It argues that design activities have implications for people and structures of the organization. One key aspect of these activities is the adoption of a teaming approach and therefore formation and building of teams. Notions of teaming and team building have been around for many decades and can be traced back to the classic “Hawthorne experiments” and the development of “human relations” ideas. However, the current and future trends favour the increasing use of communication technology and “virtual teaming”. In this paper we evaluate the role of “teaming” in the product design process and its impact on the implementation of CE principles. The empirical work presented in this paper includes a case example based on an on-going observation of a product design process in a large multi-national manufacturing firm in the UK and an observation of the workings of a pan-European research project, namely PACE.

Virtually co-located product design teams: sharing teaming experiences after the event?

The adoption of a team approach in new product design, particularly in recent years, has shaped the nature and context of design activities. Concepts of teaming and team building have been around for many decades and are seen as the means for enhancing organizational and individual performance. It is assumed that through teaming, that is, more social interactions, shared focus and physical proximity, the design process and its outcome will be improved. Virtual teaming, a relatively recent phenomenon, is becoming increasingly attractive to organizations due to developments in communication technologies. The implications of a remote distributed working environment, though, are not illustrated or experienced extensively. This paper explores the evolution of virtual co‐location of product design teams within the context of concurrent engineering. It, thus, attempts to highlight paradoxes and dilemmas in setting up physically and virtually co‐located teams. These issues are illustrated in case studies from ongoing pan‐European projects that depict product design and development activities in certain manufacturing organizations. A survey of some manufacturing firms highlights these dilemmas as perceived by participating firms. The paper closes by examining the extent that teaming, as a performance enhancer, can be diffused to other activities than design, and thus the extent that experiences can be shared within the organization.

Virtual collocation of design teams: coordinating for speed

Aims to examine aspects of virtual collocation of teams in the context of concurrent engineering (CE). Argues that design activities have implications for people and structures in the organization. Teaming has meant that more social and physical interactions within the design environment may improve the design process and its outcome. Explores the evolution of virtual collocation of product design teams. Presents selected results from a set of on‐going pan‐European projects as well as other investigations undertaken by the authors. Attempts to highlight paradoxes and dilemmas in setting up physically and virtually collocated teams. These issues are further explored via in‐depth case studies depicting product design and development activities in manufacturing organisations. Concludes by highlighting the characteristics that are associated with effectively performing collocated teams. These are summarised into three phases: pre‐set up, operational and post‐operational.

The financial management initiative in the u.k. public sector: the symbolic role of performance reporting

The emerging principles of performance reporting are explored in the context of urban policy and inner city regeneration programmes in the UK, upon which a great deal of evaluative research has been carried out in the last decade. The paper questions the extent that performance management principles as embodied by the FMI are necessary for public accountability. It illustrates that implementation of performance reporting in the urban regeneration programme has had a symbolic role in generating myths and images about practice which imply that the “rational model” of decision making is in operation. The imposition of performance reporting cannot per se guarantee improvements, in the sense of learning, in the organising approaches adopted by public sector organisations.

The Decision-Episode Framework and Computer-Aided Production Management (CAPM)

It is becoming clear that the application of information technology to managerial tasks has not yet produced the increases in productivity that were proclaimed in the late 1970s. The reasons for this are complex, yet three common problems have been identified. First, the systems created in the 1970s tended to automate and entrench existing American practices rather than to transform these practices. This applies especially to computer-aided production management (CAPM). In the key market of the United States, the 1970s were an era of relatively high availability of resources to management and there was only slight pressure to alter these practices in order to increase the tightness and speed of decision making. Consequently, suppliers and users enjoyed the presentational effects of the new types of formalization, but neglected the costs of processing transactions. So they paid scant attention to the flexible, cheaper alternatives being developed by the Japanese (Schonberger, 1982). Second, in the United States and Europe the supply side occupies a very strong position relative to the users. This position has been reinforced by the glamour of the new technology, especially by the presentation of CAPM as a total information system that provides centralized control of production. The influence of the supply side was implicitly strengthened by the perspective known as the diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1983). This is one of the areas of heaviest research in the social sciences and has a pro-innovation bias (Clark, 1987). It is assumed that innovations should be adopted in the form made available by the supply side. Consequently, the needs of the user are minimized (Clark and Staunton, 1990). We argue that with innovations in information technology the user should reblend the original innovation and aim towards appropriation (Clark, 1987, pp. 155-157). Third, too much attention is given to the implementation stages (see figure 1) and too little attention has been given to processes by which the user selects and designs systems of CAPM to fit the specific situation. In particular the strategic implications are understated. Our approach seeks to make the supplier-user dynamic more transparent and to underline the significance of the early design choices. The purpose of the Decision-Episode Framework is to provide a framework that directs attention toward the key problems in the appropriation of innovations by user firms. We have examined a particular innovation that is a subset of information technology. The innovation, which is used by production controllers and related departments, consists of software and hardware which, it is claimed, provides the user with a continuing ability to program, monitor, and control the movement of inventory through all stages of production (Corke, 1985). Research on CAPM shows many examples of systems being partially used. Typically the modules are clustered within specific functional activities such as production, marketing, or accountancy. Within these areas there have been many intra-activity connections, but many fewer interactivity connections. Also, some modules considered to be highly significant are used infrequently or not at all (Burcher, 1991). In Britain there has been a tendency for CAPM modules to be introduced

Product Development Strategies for Agility

Recent years have witnessed the long term success of some manufacturing organizations, which has been enhanced by their ability to bring new products onto the market at regular and shorter intervals. The criteria for competitiveness in the market have been changing continuously. The levels of product complexity, market demands, extent of globalization of markets, and degree of consumer awareness have varied over the last few years. This has lead the organizations to become more agile and responsive to the changing needs of customers and consumers. Within this context the role of design as a function within organizations has changed significantly. Intra-organizational as well as inter-organizational levels of involvement of the design function have significantly increased which matches the desired level of integration. The evolving new product development context thus calls for innovation and innovative approaches to design and manufacturing.

Managing the product design process: exchanging knowledge and experiences

States that the design process includes redesigning, which implies that customer requirements, their scrutiny of the design outcome and their experiences are integral to the frame of reference of the enterprise. Furthermore, the role of design function is redefined here, and becomes one, which will maintain the continuity of the process and is to do with co‐ordination and communication; that is, between designers, suppliers and customers. Traditional organizational structures and approaches inadequately address the context, which is conducive for parallelism and co‐operation and so on. This article explores the dynamics of the relationship between suppliers and customers regarding the design process in the manufacturing sector and proposes some scenarios for rethinking the dynamics of the interface and its role in shaping the design process. The arguments are evidenced and supported by a set of case examples conducted by the authors. Draws some lessons from these examples and speculates on the managerial and organizational implications.

Product design as a means of integrating differentiation

Abstract This paper examines some of the issues associated with the management of product design. It particularly focuses on the role of design within the context of concurrent engineering (CE). It is argued that segmentation and differentiation of tasks, roles and activities are the key inherent characteristics of organization. Approaches used to overcome some of the problems arising from such differentiation vary between organizations and industries. However, at the centre of all these approaches is the design of the ‘appropriate’ structure and the formation of multidisciplinary teams. This paper attempts to analyse the integrative role that multidisciplinary teams are said to play in the product design process and in the implementation of concurrent engineering, as a systematic approach to product design. The analyses and arguments presented in this paper are based on studies and observation of CE implementation in multinational organizations.

Partnerships and Networks as Self-Organizing Systems: an Antidote to Principal-Agent Theory

This paper examines the concept of self-organization, by means of which groups of agents accommodate each other, acquire collective properties which they could not individually possess, and achieve outcomes which they value, without anyone being in charge or consciously planning it. This concept, developed in the natural sciences, appears to fly in the face of ‘the incessant forces of dissolution described by the second law of thermodynamics’ (Waldrop, 1994: 102). It also offers the prospect of an alternative viewpoint on how action can be mobilized to that offered by principal-agent theory.

Computer Aided Production Management: An Example of Organization-and-Technology Systems

The focus of the research has been to address the innovation diffusion process from the perspective of the user. The framework which we have developed for this we call the Decision Episode framework (DEF).