Yes / The evaluation of impact of collaborative research on robust design methodologies and methods is important to both academic and industry stakeholders. This paper introduces a framework for impact evaluation which combines the broader framework adopted for the academic research impact assessment with the organisation viewpoint centred on business results, process improvement and product development teams capability improvement. A large scale empirical study conducted with evidence from technical reports on workplace projects from an automotive OEM proved the validity of the proposed framework.

Yes / This paper presents an evaluation study for the System State Flow Diagram function modeling framework based on a large-scale study with an automotive OEM. Technical reports are used to evaluate the usage of the framework within the organization. The paper also introduces a list of the type of problems that engineers are interested in in practical function modelling. The findings suggest that there is a widespread uptake of the framework across the organization and it supports the usage of relevant key engineering tools within the context of a broader model-based Failure Mode Analysis methodology.

Bicycle leader brands have shift production overseas to reduce the cost of labor and to implement new technologies at lower cost. Bike manufacturer both in Asia and Europe employ a traditional way of production  based on economics of scale that aims cost per unit reduction. Where MRP systems and forecasting are part of their day basis operations. This traditional way of operation offers room for innovation that must be seen as a business opportunity. Thus, alternative management approaches can strengthen strategic goals and improve responsiveness and flexibility. Bicycle brands producing locally should implement alternative management systems to remain competitive, to take the maximum advantage of their location, to improve customer service and to cut operational cost. The course of action followed was a market analys is to understand the nature of the bicyclemarket within European Union. Similarly, a Business Process Reengineering was conducted to identify with the current operational processes and opportunities within the bicycle industry. Based on the Business Process Engineering, an alternative business model was presented. The main proposed solution to improve the current operational processes:  (a) Implementation of Just-­‐in-­‐time management system and relocation of assembly facilities.  (b) Benchmark IKEA core methods, designing products for supply chain and that customer assemble  the future themselves. (c) Benchmark Dell Computer business model of customization and supply chain. Finally, the fundaments for an alternative business concept were established regarding bicycle design concept, strategy planning and production system design.

台灣外銷產業在世界上佔著舉足輕重的角色，自六零年代開始至今囊括過無數個世界第一；從早期產品，如：鞋子、雨傘、成衣、腳踏車，到近期蓬勃發展的電子產業相關零組件及成品，如：晶圓代工、顯示器、個人電腦、手提電腦等等，台灣均曾經或是現在仍為全球最大供應國。 長久以來台灣一直以代工為強項，隨著時代進步，台灣的生產成本節節高昇，再加上中國大陸的崛起，使得台灣的競爭優勢不再是勞力密集的製造業，也因此產業升級的呼聲及討論非常熱烈。代工業者要捨棄眼前的代工業務，直接進入純品牌經營的策略仍是一個相當高風險的做法。而品牌發展與代工之討論研究，宏碁率先投入自有品牌經營之後也一直持續不斷。 很多人可能沒聽過台灣的衛浴五金及水龍頭零配件代工外銷也是世界第一，歐美主要水龍頭品牌都是進口零配件至當地後再進行組裝。而衛浴五金水龍頭零件代工也和其他台灣代工產業一樣，因為競爭日趨激烈，使得產業內的業者必須積極準備因應對策，追求永續經營。 本研究以此產業外銷前五大廠商個案公司為研究對象，以策略群組區分出專注代工及深耕品牌兩大群組，比較群組之間及群組內各公司運用策略的異同;同時也針對產業大環境的變動、供應面及需求面的改變、供應鏈角色的延伸及位移等衝擊所帶來的影響，各群組個案公司所採取的策略作法，做一研究探討，進而研討出一個方向提供給產業業者制定未來經營策略的參考，以期待此產業業者之競爭優勢得以持續。 / Taiwan’s export industry plays a significant role in the world market. Since the 1960’s it has held the number one position in countless manufacturing sectors. From early times in industries such as shoes, umbrellas, clothing, and bicycles to the present booming modern electronic industries like Semiconductor Foundries, monitor, personal computer (PC), and laptop manufacturing etc., Taiwan is now or was once the biggest supplier in the world. Taiwan has been favored by OEM policy. But now it is losing it competition edge due to continuously increasing production costs and the rapid development of China’s manufacturing industries. It’s no longer to Taiwan’s advantage to operate labor intensive manufacturing, therefore there has been a cry for and vigorous discussion regarding a change in Taiwan’s industries’ roles. Discontinuing the current OEM activities and quickly investing in Original Brand Manufacturing (OBM) is a high risk decision. The discussion and research into the OBM and OEM lines of development was sustained after ACER became an OBM operation. Many people probably don’t realize that Taiwan is the world leader in the OEM plumbing hardware and faucet components export industry. The major leading brands of Europe and America import their components and then assemble them locally. The OEM plumbing hardware and faucet component industry faces the same problems as other OEM industries. To withstand the competition, they are compelled to develop innovative strategies for sustainable operation. This study adopts the top 5 export manufacturers of plumbing hardware and faucet components, categorizing them by OEM and OBM strategic groups, and comparing the similarities and differences between and within these two strategic groups. It also focuses directly on the overall changes in the industries environment, the influences on the role of supply chain expansions and changes, as well as changes in supply and demand in the market place; studying the adopted strategies by different players, dissecting these cases and extrapolating a method for the industries to formulate a future operation strategy and to maintain a competitive advantage.

The trend of outsourcing within the electronic industry has contributed to the creation of new types of extended enterprises. These extended enterprises must be able to manage a challenging situation with shorter product life cycles and increased collaboration between companies during the vital product introduction process. For the electronic industry, which is currently acting in an “era of hyper-competition”, it is a challenge to implement an efficient and flexible collaboration within an extended enterprise during the product introduction process. In the product introduction process, a product design is prepared for and transferred into production. During the course of this research, the electronic industry has changed continuously. Empirical data were first collected within an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that was responsible for its own production. Based on a strategic decision at the OEM, a new extended enterprise was established. In general, these new extended enterprises within the electronic industry consist of: a “product owner” in the form of an OEM that owns the product design and its brand; a “producer” in the form of an Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) company that is responsible for the production; and suppliers of services, material, components, equipment etc. However, in the later stages of this research the studied EMS was responsible for the product introduction, production and distribution of the product to the end user. In order to compare and contrast trends and lessons learned in similar industries, case studies within the mechanical engineering and aerospace industries also were performed. The dissertation primarily describes the process of collaborative product introduction (PI) within the electronic industry, and presents among other things a number of general conditions for efficient collaborative PI within an EE in that industry. First, a clearly communicated definition of what is included in product introduction is needed. A second condition is that early participation from all involved partners in the EE’s product introduction process supports efficient collaboration. Third, clear communication and information handling within the extended enterprise – both internally and externally – was found to facilitate collaboration. Fourth, business approaches should be built on trust, reliability and respect for each other’s competence. Finally, the importance of cultural awareness, both between different companies and countries, cannot be ignored. This research also presents a framework for supporting collaborative product introduction within an extended enterprise, which serves to both synthesize and summarize much of the research. / On the day of the public defence the status of article VIII was Accepted and the title was "Coordination in Collaborative Manufacturing Mega-Networks: Observations from a Case in the Commercial Aerospace Industry".

為了在競爭的環境中生存甚至是成長，企業可能會採取外包策略，請外部廠商負責處理非核心業務，而專注企業之有限資源於具有核心競爭力的活動。如何選擇外包廠商對於外包策略的執行成效有深切的影響，因為外包廠商會直接影響到企業價值鏈的最終產出結果。因此，本論文採取個案研究法對三家跨國公司進行深度訪談，以了解電子業之品牌廠商對於委外代工廠（製造服務供應商或研發製造服務供應商）的選擇程序與評估項目。 根據研究結果，本論文提出一套一般性的委外代工廠選擇程序。依照所考慮的委外代工廠種類之不同，該選擇程序建議五至六個階段（Market Research, General Survey, Specific Survey, Trial Run (optional), Verification Survey, and Decision Making），同時建議各階段應考慮的評估項目。本論文亦根據研究結果，對於欲建立委外代工廠選擇程序之品牌廠商以及委外代工廠提出相關建議。 / In order to survive and even to grow in the competitive environment, enterprises may adopt outsourcing strategy to focus on their core competency and to have external suppliers to handle the other activities. How to select a proper outsourcing supplier is very critical to the implementation of outsourcing strategy because outsourcing suppliers will affect the final outcome of the whole value chain very much. Therefore, this thesis studies in the electronic industry to understand the process and evaluation criteria of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to select contract manufacturers (which are electronic manufacturing services, EMS, providers or original design manufacturers, ODMs). Case study is applied as the research method and three multinational companies are in-depth interviewed for this study. Based on the research results, a general contract manufacturer selection process is proposed. This general process has five to six stages (Market Research, General Survey, Specific Survey, Trial Run (optional), Verification Survey, and Decision Making), depending on the kind of contract manufacturers under consideration. Corresponding evaluation criteria are also recommended for usage in each stage of the selection process. According to the research results, recommendations are made for OEMs which are planning to establish a contract manufacturer selection process and for contract manufacturers which are being surveyed.