Challenges in Product Module Development Work - Successful development of product modules requires intricate balancing of functional requirements

Paper in proceeding, 2002

This paper concerns company functions (market, R&D, production and service) and differences in what they want to achieve by modularization. In order to identify the most important criteria for performance of modules, interviews were conducted with people within different functions at Volvo Cars. Identified criteria are analyzed as to which respects they differ in. It is concluded that many of them are important for only one function, but that not all these criteria are possible to fulfill at the same time. Hence, when modularizing a company must be aware of such differences; otherwise the modularization benefits will be strongly limited.