Supplier involvement in automotive component design: are there really large US Japan differences?

Understanding outsourcing contexts through information asymmetry and capability fit

“…These examine why firms outsource (e.g., Hitt and Ireland 1985, Quinn 1999, Que´lin and Duhamel 2003, Holcomb and Hitt 2007, how outsourcing alters the boundary and value of organisations and industries (e.g., McCarthy and Anagnostou 2004), how outsourcing helps firms to develop new products and innovate (Handfield et al 1999, Silvestre andDalcol 2009), the capabilities needed to outsource effectively (e.g., Milgrom and Roberts 1990, Levina and Ross 2003, Oh and Rhee 2008, the process of selecting suppliers (e.g., Choi and Hartley 1996, De Boer et al 2001, Everaert et al 2007, Huang and Keskar 2007 and collaborating with them (e.g., Liker et al 1996, Rich and Hines 1997, Takeishi 2001.…”

Cooperation for innovation: impact evidence for European manufacturing SMEs

“…Research interest in cooperation with suppliers can be traced back to the 1980s with Japanese car and electronics manufacturers' successes and was closely associated with the relationships between these firms and their suppliers (Sako, 1994;Liker et al, 1996;Bidault, Despres, and Butler, 1998). Amongst rationales for such cooperation, firms may manage to reduce their risks and mistakes in the design of technological products and processes as well as in non-technological marketing and organizational innovations (Fujimoto, Iansiti, and Clark, 1996;Nishiguchi and Ikeda, 1996;Robertson and Swan, 1996).…”

Collaboration in the Design-Manufacturing Chain: A Key to Improve Product Quality

“…2007). Increasingly, suppliers are becoming involved much earlier (Appleby & Twigg 1988;O'Neal 1993, Sleigh 1993, Twigg 1998, Liker et al 1996. Today, outside suppliers represent increasingly important members of the new product development team.…”

“…Therefore, product time-to-market reduction and substantial cost savings from higher productivity, lower maintenance and fewer recalls are possible benefits of early supplier (or manufacturer) involvement in product design and development stages. A common method for accomplishing this is through cross-functional teams that bring product developers into direct communication with manufacturing engineers, marketing executives, and others whose input is important to the product development effort (Liker et al 1996).…”

“…This includes the in-depth 203 and regular sharing of technical information to improve performance and reduce cost. The suppliers send 'guest engineers' to work full-time for extended periods in their customer's design offices along side the customer's design engineers (Dyer & Ouchi 1993, Liker et al 1996. …”