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Although it has been argued that the design of production systems is crucial, there is a general lack of empirical studies analysing and identifying resources and capabilities required for an efficient production system design process. One of these resources is the critical role attributed to design information and one such capability how the design information is managed. To address this research gap, this paper reports the results from two in-depth case studies in the automotive industry focusing on the management of design information in the production system design process. Our results show that the management of design information needs to be understood as a multidimensional concept having three dimensions: acquiring, sharing and using of design information. By focusing on the three dimensions six characteristics affecting the management of design information when designing the production system are identified. The characteristics are information type, source of information, communication medium, formalization, information quality, and pragmatic information.Keywords: design of production systems; manufacturing industry; information management; case study, characteristics Subject classification codes: Original manuscript IntroductionFor manufacturing companies active on the global market, high-performance production systems that contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the company are essential. Among a wide range of industries it is increasingly acknowledged that superior production system design capabilities are crucial for competitive success. However, the process of designing the production system has received little attention, ignoring its potential for gaining a competitive edge. The real power of an efficient design process is not its contribution to reduced operating costs, but how it supports manufacturing companies in their attempts to achieve faster time to market, smoother production ramp-up, enhanced customer acceptance of new products, and/or a stronger proprietary position (Hayes et al., 2005, Pisano, 1997. The right design before implementation facilitates rapid commission of systems to allow for rapid repayment of the invested capital as well as bringing new products promptly to the market, thus reducing the cost for the manufacturing company (Wu, 1994).A review of the literature shows a broad range of factors affecting design in either a positive or negative way. One factor frequently mentioned as one of the most valuable resources that a manufacturing company possesses is design information and how design information is managed. From a theoretical point of view, there are several reasons why the management of design information should be positively associated with the performance of the production system design process. First, in line with the arguments of Cohen and Levinthal (1990), this article assumes that the ability to recognize the value of information, process it and dispose of it, is critical to the company's ability to create organizational knowledge. The second argument su...

Purpose – The purpose of the research presented is to analyse and discuss critical challenges related to the development of a production system portfolio. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a longitudinal case study of an industrialization project at a global supplier in the automotive industry. Findings – This research makes two clear theoretical contributions. First, it extends the existing research on the manufacturing and R&D interface by proposing an innovative structure for production system development facilitating manufacturing companies in their efforts of being fast and cost-effective when introducing new products to the market. Second, this research identifies challenges related to the adoption of a production system portfolio and the necessary actions of a manufacturing company applying such a portfolio strategy. Research limitations/implications – The findings should be seen as a first attempt at assisting the development of a production system portfolio that matches the product portfolio. However, since the findings are based on only one case, the findings are to some extent context-specific and thus need to be complemented by more research. Practical implications – The research unveils challenges related to production system development and provides managers with a better understanding of some of the implications of the adoption of a portfolio strategy. Originality/value – This empirical study is among the first to explore the implications of a production system portfolio strategy. It advances the understanding towards a fully integrated product and production system development.

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