The interface between “product design and engineering” and manufacturing: A review of the literature and empirical evidence

Managing the related but distinct processes of "product design and engineering" and manufacturing in an integrated way poses significant challenges for many industrial enterprises. This study presents a systematic review of the literature focused on the interface between these two areas. The review has identified six core themes based on 49 retrieved papers: (A) Integral Productivity, (B) Order Entry Points and Modularity, (C) Product Life Cycle Management, (D) Sourcing Decisions and Supplier Involvement, (E) Integrated Processes and Coordination, and (F) Enabling through Information and Communication Technology. Five of these themes, A-E, are discussed in the paper, using the retrieved works complemented by additional literature, case evidence from the literature as well as additional cases. A generic reference model is used to support the in-depth review of literature and cases. The study shows that tremendous progress during the past 20 years has been made in approaches for managing the interface by both researchers providing generic concepts and practitioners to overcome obstacles for implementation; at the same the paper also identifies gaps in the literature from both theoretical and practical perspectives. An extensive research agenda is proposed to address the gaps identified. It is argued that across all themes further research on this critical interface needs to consider the degree of novelty in new product development, engineering and manufacturing as mediating factor. However, it is also noted that companies seem to manage this interface effectively despite it being challenging, albeit sometimes very practically and intuitively.