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.
product development; work organization; concurrent engineering
