ABSTRACT

This study originates in a recognised unsustainable cost escalation for complex defence equipment. In order to understand how such cost escalation for complex product systems (CoPS) can be avoided, this study comparatively explores four different industrial sectors – energy, transportation, healthcare and defence – with and without intergenerational increasing costs, represented by four international companies. The results, collected from studying the development of one of each company’s products, reveal some characteristic differences in market factors between those sectors and companies having problems with intergenerational escalating costs and customer affordability, as compared to other sectors and companies. It is suggested that dependent on market characteristics, it might be necessary to actively manage affordability when CoPS are developed. Efforts made by the companies to make products more affordable were identified, and several factors enabling and disabling the development of less costly products without compromising customer needs were explored. Further, the implications of affordability management in a CoPS setting are elaborated on.

摘要

这项研究起源于复杂防御设备公认的不可持续的成本上升。为了了解如何避免复杂产品系统 (CoPS) 的这种成本上升，本研究比较探讨了四个不同的工业部门——能源、交通、医疗保健和国防——有和没有代际增加成本，由四家国际公司代表。从研究每家公司的一种产品的开发中收集的结果揭示了与其他行业和公司相比，这些行业和公司在代际成本和客户承受能力方面存在问题的市场因素存在一些特征性差异。建议根据市场特点，在开发 CoPS 时，可能有必要积极管理负担能力。确定了公司为使产品更实惠而做出的努力，并探讨了在不损害客户需求的情况下促进和阻碍开发成本更低的产品的几个因素。此外，还详细阐述了 CoPS 环境中负担能力管理的含义。