Product Development Performance: Strategy, Organization, and Management in the World Auto Industry

by Kim B. Clark, Takahiro Fujimoto

This book is the culmination of six years of research conducted at the Harvard Business School on how different manufacturing firms around the world approach the development of new products. Its principal focus is the impact of strategy, organization, and management on this critical component of business strategy.

Genres: Business

432 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1991

Reviews

[Luis Antillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book absolutely kicked my butt - super informative and provides a great foundational understanding of the criteria needed for high performing product development, but super dry. Very much a “taking your medicine” experience.

[Ziga Casar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nowadays there are no big differences in the automobile production through different countries, they are all pretty good competitive, but it is still interesting to read how was the situation in the 80's and 90's, when the fundaments were laid.

This book is a must read for all engineers who plan to develop a career in a company which is part of a big industry, such as the car industry, which is probably the best developed industry in the world. It gives a good overview what the biggest companies did right and wrong in its management of production, development and marketing. It also gives a lot of practical examples what needs to be considered when developing a new product and why it is so important that different departments communicate well.

Overall, as a mechanical engineering student, I would say that this book is a summary of 3-4 different courses which teach about development, production and management in the industry, but in contrast to the courses it builds on the study of real cases in the industry, not so much on the theoretical background of them.