ABSTRACT

Project and programme management in the automotive industry is characterized by the following key challenges when developing and launching new products:

mass production with high quality and safety standards;

very high variation between delivered products;

significant number of different products developed and produced in parallel;

fiercely competitive environment, leading to global design, development and production footprints (all with individual challenges regarding logistics and quality standards as well as multicultural, global and collaborative ways of working;

very powerful original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), who ‘rule’ their supply chains and make heavy use of directed suppliers;

almost never delayed start of production (SOP) deadlines.

Dr Barnes’ famous time–cost–quality constraint triangle (Lock, 2013, pp. 23–5) is at the base of the management of all projects and programmes. In the automotive industry there is extreme cost pressure and virtually no compromise on schedule and quality.