ABSTRACT
In this chapter we will explore the meaning of the term specification. Those engaged in development work communicate requirements with the help of specifications. The development of a product such as an automobile is the result of the interaction of thousands of collaborators from different departments, including marketing, after-sales, engineering, manufacturing, etc. Thus, there are different types of specifications which communicate each department’s distinct requirements; for example, the market segment specifications originating from the marketing department and the after-sales specifications originating from the after-sales department. These different specifications come together to form the overall product technical specifications, indicating the joint requirements of all the departments together for the complete final product. These specifications are either developed by the original equipment manufacturer, their suppliers, or both. In varying degrees, the OEMs and the suppliers co-operate in order to fulfil a set of needs. In other words, the suppliers are also involved in the specifications. However, in many development projects, we have observed that suppliers do not always satisfy the specifications. In fact, the product that is produced as a result of the development might be totally different from the intended product. Both the OEM and the suppliers blame each other for the failures and occasionally some of the suppliers are dismissed.
