Outsourced Management of a Wide Range of Product Development:

A Case Study of Railroad Car Development

Abstract

In this study, we focus on outsourced management of a wide range of product development. We analyze user's management behavior, which is crucial to realizing a high degree of project satisfaction, through a case study of railroad car development. Furthermore, we consider the necessary knowledge management. A result of the analysis indicates that the users who manage outsourcing effectively are deeply involved in design integration by utilizing architectural knowledge and component-specific knowledge, which the suppliers traditionally retain. The result also shows that these users secure the initiative during product development.