Abstract

The design process of complex products, e.g., cars or aero engines, requires the co-ordination of many individual designers and project groups. One major determinant for the co-ordination of the design process is communication. Communication in product development is related to several research topics such as organisational structure, organisational culture, and the role of the individual. These areas of communication can be broken down to a more precise level, thereby expressing detailed factors influencing communication in product development. To analyse communication in product development five empirical studies were conducted in aerospace, automotive and information technology industries. Data from more than 30 engineers were collected using the ‘Communication grid method’,(read more). The method allows both the current status and the desired status of factors influencing communication in product development to be determined. Based on the data collected, this research focuses on associations among 24 selected factors. Linkages were determined by exploratory data analyses and the web of linkages among factors was studied using appropriate analytical software.