A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of the Current State of Research into Globally Distributed Product Development
DS 125: Proceedings of the 34th Symposium Design for X (DFX2023)
Year: 2023
Editor: Dieter Krause, Kristin Paetzold-Byhain, Sandro Wartzack
Author: Simon J. Nicklas, Marvin Michalides, Emir Gadzo, Alexander Koch
Series: DfX
Institution: Institute for Technical Product Development, University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Page(s): 183-194
DOI number: 10.35199/dfx2023.19
Abstract
This contribution aims to investigate the challenges and potential solutions associated with the globally distributed development of complex products (GDPD). The research focuses on three key questions: (1) What factors influence GDPD? (2) What challenges and solutions have been encountered in GDPD? (3) What are the research gaps for further exploration in order to advance GDPD research? Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis of 83 relevant papers, the study reveals that both operational and strategic challenges receive equal attention, while normative challenges are relatively neglected. Among the proposed solutions, operational approaches centred around objects and representations emerge as the dominant approach. The study underscores the importance of adopting a balanced approach and conducting further research to address both strategic and normative challenges in GDPD. The findings contribute to enhancing the current understanding of the state of the art in this field and provide a foundation for future research endeavours in this domain.
Keywords: globally distributed product development (GDPD), distributed collaboration, coordination, engineering management