An engineering systems approach to strategic change: The case of the European Automotive Industry

Parry, Glenn; Roehrich, Jens

Abstract

Build to Order [BTO] refers to a demand driven production approach where the majority of products and components are scheduled and built in response to a confirmed order received for it from a final customer. A £23m EU project involving leading automotive experts developed strategies and processes to realise an automotive BTO system in Europe. Despite significant investment and research to establish the required approaches the strategic vision has yet to be achieved. A holistic Engineering Systems approach, developed for complex engineering enterprises, provides an overview for strategic transformation. The current and future BTO state of the industry are described using the eight lenses of Enterprise Architecting, namely strategy, policy, organization, process, knowledge, IT, products and services. An expert panel of practitioners and academics validate and critique the detail and content of the industry transformation described and the Engineering Systems approach to strategic implementation. Following consultation and amendment the experts agree with and support both the content of the automotive BTO strategic vision and the Engineer Systems lenses as an approach to guide strategic change.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2019
• Journal: Strategic Change
• Print ISSN: 1099-1697
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 5/6
• Pages: 249-262
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.1907
• Keywords: innovation, new product development, build to order, lean, engineering systems approach
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/945208
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsc.1907