Strategic Deployment of Information Technology for Product Development Network

本研究项目对产品开发网络中信息技术的战略部署有三个主要发现。首先，我们发现仅靠引进信息技术不足以提高制造企业的产品开发绩效。最关键的一点是在产品开发网络中建立伙伴企业有效联合解决问题的“前置”组织能力。需要适当的组织能力和系统，通过合作伙伴之间的协作来共同解决问题。然而，很难改变现有的组织结构和流程，特别是当这些流程扩展到单个企业之外时。因此，我们发现相当多的公司无法享受三维CAD的好处，而三维CAD本应增强前期问题解决活动。第二，我们发现企业间学习和企业间信任是企业在产品开发网络中有效合作的必要条件。企业间学习增强了企业的协作能力。此外，为了提高企业间学习能力，需要企业间或网络信任。网络信任是在成员企业拥有相同的网络身份、价值观和知识时建立起来的。第三，研究发现，最高管理层的领导能力对于制造企业有效、快速地引入新的信息技术至关重要，因为引入信息技术需要企业战略和组织结构的根本改变。然而，与此同时，我们发现高层管理人员必须实施激进的变革，这样他们才不会破坏日本公司的核心竞争力，这些核心竞争力以优秀的制造工艺和技能为特征。未来，我们需要研究日本制造能力与主要由西方企业开发的最新信息技术之间的整合机制。少

This research project has resulted in three major findings regarding strategic deployment of information technology for product development network.First, we have found that introduction of information technology alone is not enough for manufacturing firms to improve product development performance. The most critical point is building up "front-loading" organizational capabilities for effective joint problem solving among partner firms in product development network. Appropriate organizational capabilities and system are needed to jointly solve problems through collaborative efforts among partners. However, it is difficult to change existing organizational structure and processes especially when the processes extend beyond single firm. As a result, we have found that quite a few firms cannot enjoy the benefits of three-dimensional CAD that is supposed to enhance front-loading problem solving activities.Second, we have found that inter-firm learning and inter-firm trust are necessary fo … More r firms to effectively collaborate to each other in product development network. Inter-firm learning enhances collaborative capabilities of firms. In addition, in order to improve inter-firm learning capabilities, inter-firm or network trust is needed. Network trust is established when member firms share the same network identity, values and knowledge.Third, top-management leadership is found to be critical for manufacturing firms to introduce new information technology effectively and rapidly, because the introduction requires radical changes in corporate strategy and organizational structure. However, at the same time, we have found that top management must implement radical changes so that they do not destroy core competences of Japanese firms that feature excellent manufacturing processes and skills.In the future, we need to conduct research on integration mechanism between Japanese manufacturing capabilities and state-of-the-art information technologies that are mostly developed by the Western firms. Less