Implementation of lean principles in new product development activitiesSaeed TaheriNottingham Business School

Research question: How different is Lean implementation for knowledge-intensive and innovative environments such as new product development?

Lean Principles:

New Product development:• An steady need for increasing effectiveness and efficiency in NPD • The quicker introduction of better and less costly products

Lean product development:• A system of engineering and work organization principles and

techniques• Many of which first popularized by Toyota• Aim at shorter lead-times, reduced cost, and higher quality than

traditional NPD

Research methodology:

Approach: Qualitative

Phase 1: Exploration

Sub-question 1: How can lean principles improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of new product development activities?Objective 1: To Identify lean components and enablers applicable in new product development activities in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness Research tools: Literature review, Observation, Interview

Phase 2: Development

Sub-question 2: How can lean principles be implemented in new product development activities?Objective 2: To develop a system through which lean principles can be implemented in new product development activities

Phase 3: Application

Sub-question 1: Would the developed system enable a company to improve its new product development activities?Objective 3: To verify the system in a real situation

Research tools: Case study

Existing approaches to lean product development:

Womack et al. (1990)major design techniques that differentiate a mass from a lean producer

1- A powerful project leader with a strong authority 2- Teamwork 3- Early and controlled communication 4- Simultaneous development

Liker-Morgan (2006)The Toyota Product development system

Khan (2012)Lean product and processDevelopment model

Welo (2012)LPD model

Knowledge gap:Unbalanced view on efficiency and effectiveness in lean implementation in new product development activities

Specify value

Identify value

stream

Make the value flowPull

Pursue perfection

Notional combined value assessment of a typical aerospace

engineering job (% time)