Introduction The Framework: An Information Paradigm Competition and Product Development in the World Auto Industry Performance of Process Organization Project Strategy: Managing Complexity Manufacturing Capability Integrating Problem Solving Cycles Realizing Concepts Design Overall Patterns Effective Future General Management Implications Development.

Professor Takahiro Fujimoto, in his book ‘The Evolution of a Manufacturing System at Toyota,’ examines the entire postwar development systems that Toyota has used to become dominant player automobile industry. That long-term historical view successful firm's would be sufficient reason pick up book. The book's title does not indicate important conceptual contribution Fujimoto makes our understanding evolution within firms. He argues only by combining rational and orderly organization with...

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the link between problem-solving capabilities and product development performance. this article, authors apply perspective to management of suggest how shifting identification solving problems—a concept that they define as front-loading—can reduce time cost thus free up resources be more innovative marketplace. The develop framework front-loading present related examples case evidence from practice. These include Boeing's Chrysler's...

In the dictionary, integrity means wholeness, completeness, soundness. products, is source of sustainable competitive advantage. Products with perform superbly, provide good value, and satisfy customers' expectations in every respect, including such intangibles as their look feel. Consider this example from auto industry. 1987, Mazda put a racy four-wheel steering system five-door family hatchback. Honda introduced comparable Prelude, sporty, two-door coupe. Most Honda's customers installed...

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the link between problem‐solving capabilities and product development performance. this article, authors apply perspective to management of suggest how shifting identification solving problems—a concept that they define as front‐loading—can reduce time cost thus free up resources be more innovative marketplace. The develop framework front‐loading present related examples case evidence from practice. These include Boeing's Chrysler's...

This paper analyses modularisation in the world's auto industry. Modularisation industry has involved architectural changes product, production, and supplier systems, with each region (Japan, Europe USA) emphasising different purposes aspects. As an attempt to understand such multi-faceted, complex processes coherently, this proposes a conceptual framework that sees development production activities as interlinked, multiple hierarchies of products, processes, inter-firm boundaries. With...

SLC17A1 protein (NPT1) is the first identified member of SLC17 phosphate transporter family and mediates transmembrane cotransport Na(+)/P(i) in oocytes. Although this believed to be a renal polyspecific anion exporter, its transport properties are not well characterized. Here, we show that proteoliposomes containing purified various organic anions such as p-aminohippuric acid acetylsalicylic (aspirin) an inside positive membrane potential (Deltapsi)-dependent manner. We found NPT1 also...

The paper proposes a systematic explanation as to how the Japanese automobile parts supplier system generated international competitive advantages in 1980s and thereafter. Based not only on survey of existing literature, some which has never been introduced English past, but also author's original data conceptual framework for coherent interpretation phenomena, argues that coexistence three conditions, mutually complementary factors, enabled such advantage: long-term relational transactions,...

Abstract Toyota and Volvo have traditionally been viewed as anchoring two extremes of production models that companies in the automotive other manufacturing sectors draw upon. The "Toyota (Lean) Production System" drove superior organizational learning, innovation, control with positive implications for customer-oriented outcomes. Volvo's "reflective production" model aimed to leverage develop workers' unique abilities, leading adaptability, motivation, satisfaction, innovation at individual...

This article explores how the industry life‐cycle theory, proposed by Abernathy and Utterback, can be reinterpreted from viewpoint of product architecture dynamics. The “long tail” automobile life cycle, observed during past several decades, is explained an evolutionary framework in which a product's treated as endogenous variable affected customers' functional requirements, environmental‐technical constraints, their changes. present explains existing model effectively early history...

This paper analyzes the formation process of production systems in order to identify sources Toyota's competitive strength (i.e., its long-term high-level performance). While previous studies have analyzed either functions Toyota-style manufacturing system or history that system, there been few research efforts integrated two. The present explores both and origins simultaneously. It also concludes source can be explained part by "product architecture" perspective. shows contains three layers...

Purpose – This study aims to describe how a work team adapted its fluctuated and severe environment by changing from “lean” “over-lean” mode. To do this, the author investigated relations among productivity, vertical division of labor, group leaders' behavior in Japanese automobile assembly plant. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted field at an plant for five months. They collected three plant-level data investigate capability shop floor: transition production volume; number...