O papel da engenharia local dos fornecedores de autopeças e a integração com as montadoras no desenvolvimento de produtos.

Abstract

This master thesis is profoundly exploratory, in search of establishing consistent hypotheses on the transference of the product development process of some products from the OEMs to their suppliers, evaluating the good use and improvement of national engineering competencies, as well as factors which facilitate or difficult such a movement. It is composed by two interconnected and complementary parts: a theoretical revision and a field study. Aiming at to establish the theoretical basis to the investigation, a variety of studies has been gathered and studied, particularly those related to OEMs and suppliers, making then possible to define the problem to be studied. Considering the complexity of the problem, posed in a dynamic universe, presenting interconnections which difficult to isolate the focus of the research, preliminary hypotheses were proposed, also defining the use of two main empirical proceedings. One is the search for documental sources attached to the automotive sector, working with qualitative and quantitative data, including statistical information. The other is multiple-case studies, taking the cases of two systems suppliers, one related to the electricalelectronic distribution systems (wiring harness) and the other to vehicles cockpit panel; both of them are multiplied in sub-cases. It is presented how the product development in the automotive sector has been occurring, its phases and challenges. Some of the practices in the development of world products and the role of suppliers are also approached. The product development in the Brazilian automotive sector was also approached, aiming at bringing some contribution to the understanding of the role of the suppliers engineering that has local presence and their relations, also presenting possible parallels to the global industry and its dynamics of development. The case studies were directed to analyze some areas in which the local suppliers have competencies and autonomy, in technical terms, to proceed in developing new products to the OEMs, in Brazil and abroad. Then this study seeks to explore the relations among companies, what is the participation of the OEMs, and what reasons have favored, or not, the local role of the suppliers. An analysis of differences and similarities between the cases is presented as well. The results guided to the reelaboration of the preliminary hypotheses into more consistent ones. They also pointed out that, although the good use of national engineering has been improving, it might be better used in the development of products, promoting a better role for Brazil in face of countries with emergent engineering. However, the cases point out to the fact that the national engineering competencies have been more used by means of the presence of Brazilian engineers just alone as individuals, taking their potential to develop the engineering of other foreigner centers.

Strategic Alignment in the Brazilian Automotive Chain

“…Brazil has also become a development centre for new products. According to Fischmann (2007), the four automakers with the greatest share of the Brazilian market have already reached the stage of developing complete derivative projects, which is considered to be the penultimate stage in the scale of engineering competence for new-product development.…”