Global product development: The experience in a Brazilian manufacturing and assembler automotive subsidiary

The literature identifies a trend of new vehicles development at global level resulting in a global product development (GPD). In this context, this paper aims at analyzing the decentralization of GPD in an assembler of commercial vehicles. Factors that contribute to the decentralization of GPD are considered in this investigation as well as their causes. Case-based research is adopted as the research methodological approach, conducted in a Brazilian assembler and its headquarters in Germany. The results indicate that the organization reacts similarly to other economics industrial sectors (e.g. telecommunications) when facing the decision of decentralizing GPD. Unlike other studies, it was also found that modular design has influence on the GPD decentralization process. The interest of the local market and historical aspects of the evolution of the subsidiary were found to be relevant. From these results a proposed structure for GPD and adoption of modular design is suggested.