A case study of increasing market competitiveness through shortening the research and development cycle

Abstract

The shorter the new product development cycle, the more rapidly the quality of the product improves. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in the auto-industry, which requires an extended period for new product development. During the research and development of next generation automobiles, the final integration of testing and product validation is a crucial and time consuming process in the application of new technology to the stages in demonstration of a technology in products. Proper utilization of technology tools and management techniques to reduce the time needed during the testing and product validation phase allows an enterprise to quickly commercialize the results of research and development without compromising product quality. This study presents case studies of the successful reduction of time needed for research and development in the auto industry, drawing on a database created though actual and simulated road-chassis structural stress tests. The data is compared and analyzed to obtain the optimal signal combination target between the two, with the goal of approximating actual endurance testing through accelerated simulation, greatly reducing the time frame for testing and product validation, and increasing the marketability and economy of new products.