Managing uncertainty in production system design during early-phase product development : A scenario-based case study within the commercial vehicle industry

Sammanfattning: Background Production systems of automotive companies are exposed to various change drivers in increasingly volatile market environments. In order to manage the different areas of complexity, time, costs and quality it is necessary to continually adapt and reconsider production systems. Besides other company internal and external change drivers, product development projects initiate such adaption measures in production systems design. Characteristic for production system design activities during early-phase product development is the inadequate data and information basis. Existing methodologies for production system design assume an already existing production system and the optimization towards specific key performance indicators. Other methodologies that accompany the product development process focus solely on specific production process aspects. Consequently, a methodology for holistic determination and consideration of uncertainties in production system design during early-phase production development is needed. Aim The aim of the thesis is therefore to develop, apply and evaluate a framework that enables a structured concretization of uncertainties concerning product development projects and other company external and internal uncertainties. Furthermore, the framework should facilitate identifying which impact those uncertainties could have on the existing production system and how to develop and evaluate countermeasures. Samples The study was conducted within the commercial vehicle industry and in cooperation with ScaniaCV AB located in Södertälje, Sweden as an industrial research partner. Methods Based on a literature review and in consideration of the needs of the industrial research partner, the requirements on the framework were defined. The individual sections of the framework incorporate adaptations of existing methodologies as well as methods purpose-developed in thecourse of the thesis. The application of the framework took place within the department of transmission manufacturing in the course of a new transmission development project. Results The results show that through the application of the framework, uncertainties connected to a new transmission development project were significantly reduced. Affected production system areas were identified and adequate measures in production system design were initiated. Conclusions The developed framework enables managing uncertainties in production system design during early phase product development. Furthermore, the structured way of working and documentationi ncreases the cooperation and communication between product and production development as well as the overall transparency within the development project.