Abstract
Keywords
1. Introduction
2. Conceptual background and research model
3. Research methodology
4. Data analysis and results
5. Conclusion
Appendix A. Measurement items for survey questionnaires
References
Introduction
Challenges such as shrinking product life cycles and heterogeneous customer preferences have compelled manufacturing firms to recognize that outperforming their competitors requires improving the development of new products (Thomas, 2013; Kettunen et al., 2015). New product development (NPD) involves various complex and interdependent activities such as generating and assessing new product opportunities and ideas, incorporating product requirements into final design specifications, and launching products on the market (Hilletofth and Eriksson, 2011; Acur et al., 2012). Firms must effectively collaborate with external partners to achieve excellent NPD performance. Such collaboration involves intense interorganizational processes requiring coordination mechanisms to not only cultivate mutual understanding between firms and their NPD partners but also align partner activities with firm objectives (Mishra and Shah, 2009; Ma et al., 2012). Such intensive interorganizational interactions create an increased demand for information processing, the success of which depends heavily on a firm’s ability to implement appropriate information technology (IT) solutions. Product lifecycle management (PLM) is a strategic solution for the integrated management of product-related information throughout a product’s life cycle (Ameri and Dutta, 2005; Schuh et al., 2008; Stark, 2015). PLM is possible because of recent advances in information and communication technologies. The information systems designed to support PLM, generally called “PLM systems” enable firms to integrate information and knowledge despite functional and organizational boundaries in NPD contexts (Ding et al., 2011; Cantamessa et al., 2012; Merminod and Rowe, 2012). The advent of PLM systems provides a dynamic, interorganizational, and integrative Internet-based information sharing platform to facilitate the creation, modification, and exchange of product information throughout a product’s entire life cycle (Pol et al., 2008; Stark, 2015). PLM systems enable firms to manage product portfolios and product development project information by supporting the definition and standardization of the workflows and informational objects created during product development (Vezzetti et al., 2011; Merminod and Rowe, 2012). To improve NPD performance, numerous firms have developed PLM-related IT solutions to streamline NPD management processes, enhance NPD participant management, and improve NPD participant interactions. Companies such as Boeing, General Electric, and Honda have implemented PLM systems to facilitate collaboration with NPD partners (Fielding et al., 2014; Stark, 2015). Previous studies on PLM have described various benefits of implementing PLM systems for product development. Ameri and Dutta (2005) stated that PLM systems enable firms to streamline the flow of information about products and effectively manage knowledgeintensive processes throughout their life cycle. Alemanni et al. (2008) proposed that the benefits of PLM systems can be divided into long-term benefits and short-term benefits.