Product architecture is the scheme by which the function of a product is allocated to physical components. This paper further defines product architecture, provides a typology of product architectures, and articulates the potential linkages between the architecture of the product and six issues of managerial importance: (1) product variety, (2) product performance, (3) component standardization, (4) design and production lead time, (5) product change, and (6) the organizational structure of the firm. The paper is conceptual and foundational, synthesizing fragments firom several different disciplines, including software engineering, design theory, operations management, and product development management. The paper is intended to raise awareness of the far-reaching implications of the architecture of the product, to create a vocabulary for discussing and addressing the decisions and issues that are linked to product architecture, and to identify and discuss specific trade-offs associated with the choice of a product architecture.
T his paper is a review of research in product development, which we define as the transformation of a market opportunity into a product available for sale. Our review is broad, encompassing work in the academic fields of marketing, operations management, and engineering design. The value of this breadth is in conveying the shape of the entire research landscape. We focus on product development projects within a single firm. We also devote our attention to the development of physical goods, although much of the work we describe applies to products of all kinds. We look inside the "black box" of product development at the fundamental decisions that are made by intention or default. In doing so, we adopt the perspective of product development as a deliberate business process involving hundreds of decisions, many of which can be usefully supported by knowledge and tools. We contrast this approach to prior reviews of the literature, which tend to examine the importance of environmental and contextual variables, such as market growth rate, the competitive environment, or the level of top-management support.
T he acquisition of knowledge often underlies merger and acquisition strategies. But knowledge, as a strategic asset, creates special problems for an acquiring firm. This paper examines the impact of knowledge on merger and acquisition strategies both theoretically and empirically.
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