Optimising process and product performance in complex systems: a study in the automotive industry

Abstract

PurposeThis study responds to calls from industry and the literature to cope with the enormous challenges faced by companies operating in competitive business sectors. The main objective of this paper is to investigate how managers can optimise product quality and process efficiency of complex systems.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, a design of experiments (DoE) method was used to improve the development of complex products and manufacturing processes in the industry of automotive audio components. To identify the optimal combination that minimises quality problems occurring with subwoofer speakers in the marketing, this study proposed a full Factorial experiment 24 with three replications in a single block summarised in an analysis of the interaction among the factors.FindingsThe research findings revealed the factors and levels regarding both the product development and manufacturing processes that significantly impact the quality and reliability performance of the subwoofer speaker analysed. The findings from the article allowed the company to prioritise internal improvements to enhance product quality and process efficiency. Other automotive firms will benefit from the research findings obtained.Practical implicationsFrom a managerial perspective, this research presented the DoE methodology as a real opportunity to deal with the inherent complexity of the manufacturing process in the automotive audio components sector. This research assist managers with insights into how they can improve the quality performance in production systems and in the market.Originality/valueThis study is an original contribution to the advance of theory and empirical implementation of DoE in competitive industrial sectors.