IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v54y2008i5p922-938.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does Component Sharing Help or Hurt Reliability? An Empirical Study in the Automotive Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Kamalini Ramdas

    (Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22906)

  • Taylor Randall

    (David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112)

Abstract

Component sharing--the use of a component on multiple products within a firm's product line--is widely practiced as a means of offering high variety at low cost. Although many researchers have examined trade-offs involved in component sharing, little research has focused on the impact of component sharing on quality. In this paper, we examine how component sharing impacts one dimension of quality--reliability--defined as mean time to failure. Design considerations suggest that a component designed uniquely for a product will result in higher reliability due to the better fit of the component within the architecture of the product. On the other hand, the learning curve literature suggests that greater experience with a component can improve conformance quality, and can increase reliability via learning from end-user feedback. The engineering literature suggests that improved conformance in turn increases reliability. Sharing a component across multiple products increases experience, and hence, should increase reliability. Using data from the automotive industry, we find support for the hypothesis that higher component reliability is associated with higher cumulative experience with a component. Further, we find support for the hypothesis that higher component reliability is associated with a component that has been designed uniquely for a product. This finding suggests that the popular design strategy of component sharing can in some cases compromise product quality, via reduced reliability.

Suggested Citation

  • Kamalini Ramdas & Taylor Randall, 2008. "Does Component Sharing Help or Hurt Reliability? An Empirical Study in the Automotive Industry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(5), pages 922-938, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:54:y:2008:i:5:p:922-938
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1070.0791
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1070.0791
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.1070.0791?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kamalini Ramdas & Marshall Fisher & Karl Ulrich, 2003. "Managing Variety for Assembled Products: Modeling Component Systems Sharing," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 5(2), pages 142-156, November.
    2. V. Krishnan & Saurabh Gupta, 2001. "Appropriateness and Impact of Platform-Based Product Development," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(1), pages 52-68, January.
    3. Michael A. Lapré & Nikos Tsikriktsis, 2006. "Organizational Learning Curves for Customer Dissatisfaction: Heterogeneity Across Airlines," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(3), pages 352-366, March.
    4. Kamalini Ramdas & Mohanbir S. Sawhney, 2001. "A Cross-Functional Approach to Evaluating Multiple Line Extensions for Assembled Products," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(1), pages 22-36, January.
    5. Christopher D. Ittner, 1996. "Exploratory Evidence on the Behavior of Quality Costs," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 44(1), pages 114-130, February.
    6. Preyas Desai & Sunder Kekre & Suresh Radhakrishnan & Kannan Srinivasan, 2001. "Product Differentiation and Commonality in Design: Balancing Revenue and Cost Drivers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(1), pages 37-51, January.
    7. Charles H. Fine, 1986. "Quality Improvement and Learning in Productive Systems," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(10), pages 1301-1315, October.
    8. David P. Rutenberg, 1971. "Design Commonality to Reduce Multi-Item Inventory: Optimal Depth of a Product Line," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 19(2), pages 491-509, April.
    9. C. Lanier Benkard, 2000. "Learning and Forgetting: The Dynamics of Aircraft Production," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(4), pages 1034-1054, September.
    10. Hans Sebastian Heese & Jayashankar M. Swaminathan, 2006. "Product Line Design with Component Commonality and Cost-Reduction Effort," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 206-219, May.
    11. Ray Reagans & Linda Argote & Daria Brooks, 2005. "Individual Experience and Experience Working Together: Predicting Learning Rates from Knowing Who Knows What and Knowing How to Work Together," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(6), pages 869-881, June.
    12. Ulrich W. Thonemann & Margaret L. Brandeau, 2000. "Optimal Commonality in Component Design," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 48(1), pages 1-19, February.
    13. Jayashankar M. Swaminathan & Sridhar R. Tayur, 1998. "Managing Broader Product Lines through Delayed Differentiation Using Vanilla Boxes," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(12-Part-2), pages 161-172, December.
    14. Amit Shankar Mukherjee & Michael A. Lapré & Luk N. Van Wassenhove, 1998. "Knowledge Driven Quality Improvement," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(11-Part-2), pages 35-49, November.
    15. John Paul MacDuffie & Kannan Sethuraman & Marshall L. Fisher, 1996. "Product Variety and Manufacturing Performance: Evidence from the International Automotive Assembly Plant Study," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(3), pages 350-369, March.
    16. Nile W. Hatch & David C. Mowery, 1998. "Process Innovation and Learning by Doing in Semiconductor Manufacturing," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(11-Part-1), pages 1461-1477, November.
    17. Michael A. Lapré & Luk N. Van Wassenhove, 2001. "Creating and Transferring Knowledge for Productivity Improvement in Factories," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(10), pages 1311-1325, October.
    18. Kristiaan Helsen & David C. Schmittlein, 1993. "Analyzing Duration Times in Marketing: Evidence for the Effectiveness of Hazard Rate Models," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(4), pages 395-414.
    19. Ulrich, Karl, 1995. "The role of product architecture in the manufacturing firm," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 419-440, May.
    20. Dick, Andrew R, 1991. "Learning by Doing and Dumping in the Semiconductor Industry," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(1), pages 133-159, April.
    21. Karl T. Ulrich & David J. Ellison, 1999. "Holistic Customer Requirements and the Design-Select Decision," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(5), pages 641-658, May.
    22. Marvin B. Lieberman, 1984. "The Learning Curve and Pricing in the Chemical Processing Industries," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 15(2), pages 213-228, Summer.
    23. Marshall Fisher & Kamalini Ramdas & Karl Ulrich, 1999. "Component Sharing in the Management of Product Variety: A Study of Automotive Braking Systems," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(3), pages 297-315, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Antonio Moreno & Christian Terwiesch, 2017. "The Effects of Product Line Breadth: Evidence from the Automotive Industry," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(2), pages 254-271, March.
    2. Ruomeng Cui & Meng Li & Qiang Li, 2020. "Value of High-Quality Logistics: Evidence from a Clash Between SF Express and Alibaba," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(9), pages 3879-3902, September.
    3. Tian Heong Chan & Shi-Ying Lim, 2023. "The Emergence of Novel Product Uses: An Investigation of Exaptations in IKEA Hacks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(5), pages 2870-2892, May.
    4. Tian Chan & Francis de Véricourt & Omar Besbes, 2014. "Contracting in medical equipment maintenance services: An empirical investigation," ESMT Research Working Papers ESMT-14-05, ESMT European School of Management and Technology.
    5. Suvrat S. Dhanorkar & Enno Siemsen & Kevin W. Linderman, 2018. "Promoting Change from the Outside: Directing Managerial Attention in the Implementation of Environmental Improvements," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(6), pages 2535-2556, June.
    6. Tian Heong Chan & Francis de Véricourt & Omar Besbes, 2019. "Contracting in Medical Equipment Maintenance Services: An Empirical Investigation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(3), pages 1136-1150, March.
    7. Edward G. Anderson Jr. & Aravind Chandrasekaran & Alison Davis-Blake & Geoffrey G. Parker, 2018. "Managing Distributed Product Development Projects: Integration Strategies for Time-Zone and Language Barriers," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 29(1), pages 42-69, March.
    8. Kathleen Cleeren & Marnik G. Dekimpe & Harald J. Heerde, 2017. "Marketing research on product-harm crises: a review, managerial implications, and an agenda for future research," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 593-615, September.
    9. Ken Moon & Prashant Loyalka & Patrick Bergemann & Joshua Cohen, 2022. "The Hidden Cost of Worker Turnover: Attributing Product Reliability to the Turnover of Factory Workers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(5), pages 3755-3767, May.
    10. Matsushima, Noriaki & Shinohara, Ryusuke, 2014. "What factors determine the number of trading partners?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 428-441.
    11. Kartik Kalaignanam & Tarun Kushwaha & Anand Nair, 2017. "The Product Quality Impact of Aligning Buyer-Supplier Network Structure and Product Architecture: an Empirical Investigation in the Automobile Industry," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, September.
    12. Lee, Kyung Yul & Jung, Hyun Ju & Kwon, Youngsun, 2024. "Boundary-spanning technology search, product component reuse, and new product innovation: Evidence from the smartphone industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(4).
    13. Jose A. Guajardo & Morris A. Cohen & Serguei Netessine, 2016. "Service Competition and Product Quality in the U.S. Automobile Industry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(7), pages 1860-1877, July.
    14. Kamalini Ramdas & Khaled Saleh & Steven Stern & Haiyan Liu, 2016. "Variety and Experience: Learning and Forgetting in the Use of Surgical Devices," Working Papers 0316, University of South Florida, Department of Economics.
    15. Narayan Ramasubbu & Chris F. Kemerer, 2016. "Technical Debt and the Reliability of Enterprise Software Systems: A Competing Risks Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(5), pages 1487-1510, May.
    16. Robert J. Batt & Santiago Gallino, 2019. "Finding a Needle in a Haystack: The Effects of Searching and Learning on Pick-Worker Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(6), pages 2624-2645, June.
    17. Kamalini Ramdas & Khaled Saleh & Steven Stern & Haiyan Liu, 2018. "Variety and Experience: Learning and Forgetting in the Use of Surgical Devices," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(6), pages 2590-2608, June.
    18. Robert L. Bray & Juan Camilo Serpa & Ahmet Colak, 2019. "Supply Chain Proximity and Product Quality," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(9), pages 4079-4099, September.
    19. Anandasivam Gopal & Manu Goyal & Serguei Netessine & Matthew Reindorp, 2013. "The Impact of New Product Introduction on Plant Productivity in the North American Automotive Industry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(10), pages 2217-2236, October.
    20. Jose A. Guajardo & Morris A. Cohen & Sang-Hyun Kim & Serguei Netessine, 2012. "Impact of Performance-Based Contracting on Product Reliability: An Empirical Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(5), pages 961-979, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eva Labro, 2004. "The Cost Effects of Component Commonality: A Literature Review Through a Management-Accounting Lens," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 6(4), pages 358-367, June.
    2. Israelsen, Poul & Jørgensen, Brian, 2011. "Decentralizing decision making in modularization strategies: Overcoming barriers from dysfunctional accounting systems," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(2), pages 453-462, June.
    3. Jing-Sheng Song & Yao Zhao, 2009. "The Value of Component Commonality in a Dynamic Inventory System with Lead Times," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 11(3), pages 493-508, March.
    4. V. Krishnan & Karl T. Ulrich, 2001. "Product Development Decisions: A Review of the Literature," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(1), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Jans, Raf & Degraeve, Zeger & Schepens, Luc, 2008. "Analysis of an industrial component commonality problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(2), pages 801-811, April.
    6. Johnson, Michael D. & Kirchain, Randolph E., 2009. "Quantifying the effects of product family decisions on material selection: A process-based costing approach," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 653-668, August.
    7. Kai-Lung Hui, 2004. "Product Variety Under Brand Influence: An Empirical Investigation of Personal Computer Demand," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(5), pages 686-700, May.
    8. Carolyn D. Egelman & Dennis Epple & Linda Argote & Erica R.H. Fuchs, 2013. "Learning by Doing in a Multi-Product Manufacturing Environment: Product Variety, Customizations, and Overlapping Product Generations," NBER Working Papers 19674, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Linda Argote & Sunkee Lee & Jisoo Park, 2021. "Organizational Learning Processes and Outcomes: Major Findings and Future Research Directions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5399-5429, September.
    10. Marshall Fisher, 2007. "Strengthening the Empirical Base of Operations Management," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 9(4), pages 368-382, December.
    11. Wong, Hartanto & Lesmono, Dharma & Chhajed, Dilip & Kim, Kilsun, 2019. "On the evaluation of commonality strategy in product line design: The effect of valuation change and distribution channel structure," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 14-25.
    12. Brun, Alessandro & Capra, Eugenio & Miragliotta, Giovanni, 2009. "VRP revisited: The impact of behavioural costs in balancing standardisation and variety," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 16-29, January.
    13. Carolyn D. Egelman & Dennis Epple & Linda Argote & Erica R. H. Fuchs, 2017. "Learning by Doing in Multiproduct Manufacturing: Variety, Customizations, and Overlapping Product Generations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(2), pages 405-423, February.
    14. Kamalini Ramdas & Marshall Fisher & Karl Ulrich, 2003. "Managing Variety for Assembled Products: Modeling Component Systems Sharing," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 5(2), pages 142-156, November.
    15. Antonio Moreno & Christian Terwiesch, 2017. "The Effects of Product Line Breadth: Evidence from the Automotive Industry," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(2), pages 254-271, March.
    16. Ingrid M. Nembhard & Anita L. Tucker, 2011. "Deliberate Learning to Improve Performance in Dynamic Service Settings: Evidence from Hospital Intensive Care Units," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(4), pages 907-922, August.
    17. Robert S. Huckman & Bradley R. Staats, 2008. "Variation in Experience and Team Familiarity: Addressing the Knowledge Acquisition-Application Problem," Harvard Business School Working Papers 09-035, Harvard Business School.
    18. DeCampos, Hugo A. & Rosales, Claudia R. & Narayanan, Sriram, 2022. "Supply chain horizontal complexity and the moderating impact of inventory turns: A study of the automotive component industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    19. Dosi, Giovanni & Grazzi, Marco & Mathew, Nanditha, 2017. "The cost-quantity relations and the diverse patterns of “learning by doing”: Evidence from India," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(10), pages 1873-1886.
    20. Kamalini Ramdas & Mohanbir S. Sawhney, 2001. "A Cross-Functional Approach to Evaluating Multiple Line Extensions for Assembled Products," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(1), pages 22-36, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:54:y:2008:i:5:p:922-938. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.