Under de senaste åren har digitaliseringen av fysiska produkter ökat, och allt fler företag har därmed börjat implementera digitala komponenter i sina produkter. Att implementera mjukvara i en analog produkt innebär nya utmaningar för produktutvecklingsteam som tidigare arbetat med att ta fram analoga produkter. Många företag har i och med digitaliseringen valt att anpassa sina produktutvecklingsmetoder med målet att integrera de digitala och analoga produktutvecklingsprocesserna med varandra. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur produktutvecklingsprocesserna ser ut idag på produktutvecklande företag som har genomgått en digitalisering. De aspekter som har tagits extra hänsyn till är projekttid, produktutvecklingsmetod, företagets organisering och struktur samt insamling och implementering av användardata i produktutvecklingsprocessen. Företag som utvecklar uppkopplade produkter för hemmet är exempel på företag som just nu genomgår en digitalisering av tidigare analoga produkter, därför har företag med detta spår valts som inriktning vid denna studie. Studien har utförts genom en inledande litteraturstudie följt av kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra responderande företag, som samtliga utvecklar uppkopplade hemprodukter vilka innehåller IoT-teknologi. Studien visar att företagen strävar mot ett agilt arbetssätt, men att det finns svårigheter med att integrera hårdvaru- och mjukvaruutveckling i produktutvecklingsprocesserna. Trots detta upplevs utvecklingstiden i projekt som oförändrad jämfört med innan digitaliseringen. Det framkommer även att tvärfunktionalitet hos utvecklingsteamen är en fördel i samspelet mellan de digitala och analoga delarna av produktutvecklingen. Studien visade slutligen att kunddata som samlas in via digitaliserade produkter används av företag som ett verktyg för att effektivisera produktutvecklingen. / In recent years digitalization of physical products has increased, and many companies has therefore started to implement digital components in their products. To add software to an analog product creates new challenges for the product development teams, which up until then mainly have been developing analog products. Many companies have, as a result of the digitalization, chosen to adapt their product development methods to manage the integration between digital and analog development processes. The purpose of this study is to investigate what the product developing process looks like today in companies that have digitalized their products. The aspects that are specifically considered are; project duration, product development method, organizational structure of the company, and implementation of big data in the product development process. Companies that develop products for home use is one example of companies that are going through a digitalization process of their previously analog products, which is why this branch of companies is targeted in this study. The study was conducted through an initial literature study, followed by interviews with four responding companies, who all develop connected home products containing IoT-technology. The study shows that the companies aim for a more agile work procedure, but that there are problems with integrating hardware and software development in product development processes. Nonetheless, the time duration of the projects does not appear to have changed significantly in comparison to pre-digitalization. It is also revealed that cross-functional teams are an advantage within the collaboration between the digital and analog parts in the development process. The study finally shows that big data, collected through digitalized products, is used by the companies as a tool for increasing the effectiveness of the product development.

Published Article / In this article we will describe the use of 3D medical image information of individual patients as well as selected patient populations, combined with CAE tools and processes, in the rapid product development of custom and standard implantable devices. The combination of medical image information with CAE methods such as CAD, RP, FEA and CFD, allows the engineer to develop implantable devices faster and better, with optimized designs tailored to the anthropometry of the targeted patient (population), using virtual instead of mechanical prototype testing. Case studies will be demonstrated for a variety of surgical fields such as orthopaedic, cranio-maxillofacial and cardiovascular surgery.

In an attempt to increase opportunity and quality of life for people living in poverty,governments and non-government organisations (NGOs) sell and donate products to developing countries. Typically, these are essential household items such as cook stoves, water filters and solar lighting. However, to date there has been limited research into the uptake and long term effectiveness of these products and few methods or tools are available to guide the product development process. This has resulted in a number of well documented product failures as a result of poor design choices. To overcome this problem and provide guidance to future or existing designers and NGOs this research investigated the factors required for long lasting and effective product design. This was carried out through the use of a literature review, the analysis of 64 products, a survey, interviews with product designers, and a case study with a Social Enterprise in Myanmar (Burma). The information gathered was analysed and used to create a framework consisting of various tools to guide designers and NGOs. Specifically, the research focused on the creation of a taxonomy of products designed for developing countries and an assessment method consisting of eight critical indicators for product success. These were presented as a website, set of cards and book which guides and assists designers during the process to ensure that future products are appropriate and to prevent current unacceptable levels of waste. Following the creation of the framework it was evaluated by students, practitioners and existing product users in Myanmar. The findings revealed that participants felt the assessment method and indicator cards were beneficial during the design process and assisted them in the development of more suitable and appropriate products.

Companies are dependent on continuously provide the market with new products to keep its market position and profitability level. The companies examined in this thesis are two bigger Swedish enterprises that have a long history in a mature business-to-business context providing industrial goods to the market. This work examines how users are involved in the different innovation and product development activities. The problem is to understand how business-to-business companies co-operate with stakeholder and users, when in the product life cycle that is done, and who are the ones doing the actual innovation. The methodological approach for the work was deductive, building a theory including innovation, strategy and user theories that was empirically tested and followed by an analysis and conclusion of the found evidence. Key findings: Most if not all innovations in mature market are routine ones. There is lack of strategic focus due to micromanagement that shifts focus rapidly. Innovations are often found in the beginning and in the end of the product life cycle. Mature markets tend to utilize a more closed innovation model as opposite to an open model. Users are not heavily involved in the actual innovation process. Stickiness and tacit knowledge is quite big in large corporation event though there is said to be a strategic focus on the customers. Implications: More involvement of users, especially lead users, will lead to more innovations. Utilising strategic buckets of different sizes for spreading the resources on different innovation types (routine/disruptive/discontinuous) to become successful

In today’s fast-paced industry where fight for market share is fierce and reaching the market ahead of competition imperative, product development is a target for lead-time reductions. In this context, in product development in stage-gate processes, decisions need to be made even though knowledge and information are scarce and flawed. The challenge is how to support the decisions that are made in light of uncertainty and ambiguity. The thesis moves from analysing the role of the stage-gate process within the aerospace industry. The stage-gate process was more than a decision making mechanism, and instead a mechanism that facilitated communication, discussion and knowledge sharing between team members, as well as supported knowledge creation and shaping of the boundaries between people’s different perceptions of the knowledge base. However, the communicative and negotiative function of the stage-gate was highly dependent on the ability of the participating individuals to reflect on the status and quality of the available knowledge assets used throughout the process. To make this reflective activity an explicit part of the stage-gate practice, this thesis proposes the application of a knowledge maturity concept at the gates to raise the decision makers’ awareness of the status of the knowledge assets handled at the decision point. The knowledge maturity concept considers three basic dimensions: input, method/tool and experience/expertise in assessing the knowledge base maturity. The scale is intended to act as a boundary object, facilitating the knowledge creation process by highlighting the current status of the knowledge base and making stakeholders aware of the nature of the project’s uncertainties and ambiguities. In the knowledge maturity concept, its purpose is to support design teams at the gates in taking appropriate action, mitigating risk and focusing their efforts on improving the knowledge assets where it is needed most, regarding the situation at hand and, finally, to make more confident decisions.The thesis was developed within the EU FP6 VIVACE (Value Improvement through a Virtual Aeronautical Collaborative Enterprise) and EU FP7 CRESCENDO (Collaborative and Robust Engineering using Simulation Capability Enabling Next Design Optimisation) projects, and within the Faste Laboratory, a VINNOVA Excellence Centre involving partners from the Swedish manufacturing industry.

Rail Overhead Line (ROL) is a design tool, owned by the company Bentley Systems AB. The design tool is used by overhead line engineers at Sweco Rail to design contact line for electric railway. Sweco Rail intends to establish themselves on the Norwegian market together with their sister company Sweco A/S. Before entry into the new market, a development of ROL is required. The objective with the thesis has been to identify the requirements and the development needs, which are required to adapt ROL against the Norwegian market.The administrations Jernbaneverket and Trafikverket, which are major customers to Sweco, requires more often that Building Information Model (BIM) is to be used in their projects. The goal with the use of BIM is to lead the work to a more efficient management, as well as reduce the risk of information being lost between various stages and processes within the projects. Before entry on the Norwegian market, it is therefore necessary of Sweco Rail and Bentley to adjust ROL in order to be able to deliver 3D-models. The 3D-models have to fulfill the requirements that the Norwegian administration Jernbaneverket demands of the use of BIM in projects.To identify the development needs that are required for a Norwegian adjustment of ROL; interviews, observations and a study of governing documents was performed. Customer needs were identified and translated to requirements. These requirements led to the identified development needs.The result showed that 56 development needs have to be fulfilled before ROL can be used as a design tool on the Norwegian market. The identified development needs include actions with the intention that the design tool can be used in greater extension on the Swedish market. Sweco and their resources can rectify 22 of the 56 development needs. For the remaining 34 development needs, the owners Bentley Systems need to take responsibility for the solutions that is required to satisfy the needs. / Rail Overhead Line (ROL) är ett projekteringsverktyg, vilket ägs av företaget Bentley Systems AB och används av kontaktledningsprojektörer på Sweco Rail. Projekteringsverktyget används för att projektera kontaktledningsanläggningar. Sweco Rail AB har för avsikt att etablera sig på den norska marknaden tillsammans med systerbolaget Sweco A/S. Inför etableringen på den nya marknaden erfordras en utveckling av ROL för att verktyget skall kunna nyttjas vid projektering i Norge. Syftet med arbetet har varit att identifiera de krav och utvecklingsbehov som krävs i avsikt att anpassa ROL för den norska marknaden.Det blir allt mer vanligt att förvaltningarna Jernbaneverket och Trafikverket, vilka är stora kunder till Sweco, ställer krav på att arbetssättet Building Information Model (BIM) skall användas i projekt. Målet med användningen av BIM är att få en effektivare förvaltning samt reducera risken för att information försvinner mellan olika skeden i projekten och processer. Inför etableringen på den norska marknaden behöver därför Sweco och Bentley Systems anpassa ROL för att bland annat kunna leverera 3D-modeller vilka uppfyller de krav norska Jernbaneverket ställer på användningen av BIM i projekt.För att identifiera utvecklingsbehoven, vilka krävs för en norsk anpassning av ROL, genomfördes intervjuer, observationer samt en studie av styrdokument. Kundbehov identifierades och översattes till krav, vilka även låg till grund för de identifierade utvecklingsbehoven.Resultatet av arbetet visade att det finns 56 stycken utvecklingsbehov, vilka behöver uppfyllas för att ROL skall kunna användas vid projektering för den norska marknaden. Av de identifierade utvecklingsbehoven återfinns även åtgärder av verktyget vilka skulle kunna gynna projekteringen på den svenska marknaden. 22 stycken av de 56 utvecklingsbehoven kan Sweco åtgärda med hjälp av sina resurser på företaget. För de resterande 34 utvecklingsbehoven behöver ägarna av ROL, Bentley Systems, ta ansvar för de lösningar som krävs för att behoven skall tillfredsställas.

Det här examensarbetet skildrar en konceptstudie och kostnadsuppskattning av enuniversell testrigg för växellådor. Arbetet har genomförts på uppdrag av SwepartTransmission AB och har resulterat i koncept- och komponentförslag samtkostnadsuppskattning av ett universellt test system av växellådor. / This degree project cover a concept study and cost analyses of a universal test rig forgears. The project has been performed for Swepart Transmission AB and has resultedin a concept and component suggestion as well as cost analysis of a universal testsystem for gears.

Firms developing new products often face the challenge of making investment decisions under uncertain input-cost conditions due to the price volatilities of the materials they use. These decisions need to be made long before the final products are launched on the market. Therefore, firms who invest in the opportunity to switch materials in a timely manner will have the flexibility to react to material price changes and realize competitive advantages. However, volatile material prices may also cause a firm to delay investment. Using real-options reasoning, this article studies the influence of input-cost fluctuations on the timing decision to start new product development (NPD) and thus create the follow-on opportunity to later replace an existing product. A model that combines waiting and switching options to derive influencing factors of the flexibility value which triggers the investment is developed and tested on a sample of material substitution projects from manufacturing firms. The results show how price uncertainty of the new and the old material, their joint price development, the expected project duration, and competitive preemption are related to the propensity to delay the start of NPD. The findings provide new insights on how timing in adopting materials can be used to hedge exposure to volatile material prices. The insights are relevant for adopters and producers of new materials, as well as for policy makers who strive for supporting the diffusion of new materials. (authors' abstract)

No description available.

Who provides better inputs to new product ideation tasks: problem solvers with expertise in the area for which new products are to be developed, or problem solvers from "analogous" markets that are distant but share an analogous problem or need? Conventional wisdom appears to suggest that target market expertise is indispensable, which is why most managers searching for new ideas tend to stay within their own market context even when they do search outside their firms' boundaries. However, in a unique symmetric experiment that isolates the effect of market origin, we find evidence for the opposite: Although solutions provided by problem solvers from analogous markets show lower potential for immediate use, they demonstrate substantially higher levels of novelty. Also compared to established novelty drivers, this effect appears highly relevant from a managerial perspective: we find that including problem solvers from analogous markets vs. the target market accounts for almost two thirds of the well-known effect of involving lead users instead of average problem solvers. This effect is further amplified when the analogous distance between the markets increases, i.e., when searching in far vs. near analogous markets. Finally, results indicate that the analogous market effect is particularly strong in the upper tail of the novelty distribution, which again underscores the effect's practical importance. All this suggests that it might pay to systematically search across firm-external sources of innovation that were formerly out of scope for most managers. (authors' abstract)