Project portfolio management (PPM) is central for project-based firms to achieve structure and prioritization among multiple projects. Competitive pressures, emergence of new technology and constantly changing customer demand imply a dynamic nature of PPM that calls for adjustments to different situations. This paper investigates PPM challenges that a company in the lighting industry face during a technology transformation from fluorescent technology to LED technology. The technology transformation resembles a modular innovation and the question asked is: How does technology transformation influence the project selection process? The findings rest upon an in-depth case study where data was collected via narrative interviews with representatives having detailed insights into the company’s PPM activities and decisions. The key findings from the study are: (1) When a company faces a technology, which involves most products in the portfolio to be converted to a new technology, the project selection focus shifts from “what products should be developed” to “in what order should the products be developed”. (2) The technology transformation might lead to that the planned order for carrying out projects can be frequently changed due to reprioritizations during project execution phase. Based on the key findings it can be concluded that PPM selection seems more dynamic than postulated in the literature.

This paper contributes with increased insights into the dynamic nature of project selection, specifically related to a technology transformation situations characterized by modular innovation. Further studies are needed regarding effects of other kinds of technology transformations on project selection activities and decisions as well as other factors contributing to the dynamics of PPM.

Studies of supplier involvement in product development have revealed potential benefits including faster time to market, reduced cost and increased quality. However, existing literature has mainly focused on the customer's perspective on advantages, disadvantages and factors to be considered when involving suppliers in product development. This paper addresses the supplier's perspective by answering following research question: How do challenges that originate from involvement in customer's product development affect a supplier? The question is answered through a single case study at a supplier that develops and manufacture products primary used in capital goods. Thirteen challenges are identified, classified as being internal or external, and categorised into five areas: (A) Customer requirements, (B) Information exchange between customer and supplier, (C) Product variety management, (D) Design-manufacturing integration and (E) Processes and work instructions. The findings suggest that internal challenges need as much attention as external ones that originate from the customer. Also, an indication of when the challenges affect the supplier during product development is presented.

This study addresses the role of visual representations in supporting communication between an R&D team and geographically distributed suppliers for a new product development (NPD) project. It specifically focuses on the design and use of visual representations as a feasible way for communication between the distributed actors when they face communication challenges originating from differences in skills in the English language, but also from differences in work experiences. Relying on empirical materials from a Swedish manufacturing company in the mechanical engineering industry, this paper makes the following contributions to the literature. First, it shows that visual representations are effective boundary objects able to support process-oriented and product-oriented communication in distributed NPD projects. Second, it illustrates that visual representations do not necessarily have to follow graphic design principles, but can still be effective if distributed actors share the same project context. Finally, it highlights the need for a dynamic and context-dependent perspective on communication in NPD projects. 

This research explores integration of the suppliers’ workflows in the OEM’s new product development (NPD) process, to support the production ramp-up. Based on multiple-case study approach, incorporating both the OEM and the supplier perspective, this research explains critical aspects for the integration of suppliers’ workflows in the OEM’s NPD process, and when these aspects need to be addressed. The results show that face-to-face meeting on a project level, standardized work model, readiness of the component specifications, role of Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) engineer, quality assurance document provided to the suppliers, etc. are critical aspects.

A common understanding of sustainable production principles and the identification of sustainable manufacturing practices among practitioners are key starting points in studying how manufacturers are making their operations more sustainable. However, there is a lack of insight in the literature connecting conceptual sustainable production principles, and the practices reflecting these principles. Using semi-structured interviews founded on the sustainable production principles posed by the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, this paper presents an outlook of how companies in different industries carry out manufacturing practices related to the sustainability production principles. Results showed that the majority of sustainable manufacturing practices remain strongly centered on the environmental dimension of sustainability, with the greatest number of practices emanating from principles concerning energy and material conservation, and waste management. Similarly, reactive sustainable manufacturing practices prevailed over proactive sustainable manufacturing practices, as most of the practices aimed to comply with regulatory and market pressures. Quality and environmental management systems were acknowledged as important tools for putting sustainable production principles into practice; while Swedish environmental and social regulations were found to drive sustainable manufacturing practices. This study connects sustainable production principles with sustainable manufacturing practices and opens the way for further studies on a global or sector-specific scale.

The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges with industrialization across a supply chain network, from a supplier perspective. The study focuses on identifying the challenges encountered by the supplier, when working with industrialization alongside the customer’s industrialization process, the reasons for and the effects of these challenges, as well as how these challenges can be managed. These issues have been examined through a single case study including a Swedish company from the polymer systems and components industry. Empirical data has been collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews. This study has identified fourteen challenges as well as their main reasons and effects. In addition, solutions to the challenges have been identified. The challenges can be classified as internal or external. An internal challenge originates from inside the supplier’s own organization, while an external challenge originates from the customer’s organization or from the collaboration between the two organizations. This study is explorative in nature and is limited to one supplier located in Sweden. Thus, empirical data from similar and other research settings should be gathered to reinforce the validity of the findings.  

 Keywords: Industrialization; Production ramp-up; Supply chain; Supplier

This paper addresses implementation of R&D management models in global product development organisations. The study rests upon empirical material originating from five industrial companies that was collected via workshops and interviews. A number of enablers for and barriers to implementation of R&D management models have been identified. The study adds to the current theory on how companies with global organisations can ensure that the R&D management model is implemented throughout the entire organisation. In addition, the practical value refers to that the identified enablers and barriers support companies in their strive towards better adherence to the R&D management models in product development projects.

This paper reports findings from the application of a new method, denoted the Interface Management Method (IMM), for managing uncertainty, complexity and dispersion in product development projects. The method was applied in three commercial projects and evaluated against desired features of product development methods reported in the literature. The findings indicate the potential of the method to support product development teams when facing challenges related to uncertainty, complexity and dispersion as it helps create focus and a dialogue on how to deal with the challenges. The paper also adds to the discourse regarding product development methods by discussing and defining four interrelated concepts: method, tool, procedure and system. Through more precise definitions, the dialogue between academics and practitioners can be refined and lead to better methods, which will ultimately result in improved product development efficiency and effectiveness.