The characteristics of product platform development projects
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Date
2013-08-01
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Technická Univerzita v Liberci
Technical university of Liberec, Czech Republic
Technical university of Liberec, Czech Republic
Abstract
Project Management covers established techniques to execute projects successfully. In companies these techniques are adapted to specific needs. But even in R&D an equal treatment of all R&D project is neither effective nor efficient; in detail the challenges of R&D projects differ clearly in project-specific attributes like complexity, novelty of task, planning horizon, uncertainty, risk, dynamic of environment, time pressure, and capacity requirements. In this paper we analyse the characteristics of product platform development projects to evaluate the necessity to handle these projects by defining a specific project type. We show differences between product platform development projects and product development projects in objects, expected effects, challenges, and decisions to be taken and also in risk management. Product platform projects are very much specific in the sense that it requires longer vision and future possible technology and market scenarios. Reducing development costs of product variants is one of the expected effects of platforms that firms strive to achieve. One specific challenge in product platform development projects is to find the right balance between product synergies and market diversity. Especially because of high complexity, the high number of interactive decisions, uncertainties in technologies and customer requirements, specific challenges in risk management companies in several industries might consider to establish an own project type for product platform development projects.
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project types, product platform projects, product management, risk management, innovation management, O32
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978-80-7372-953-0