Product platform development in industrial networks

摘要

The purpose of the paper is to identify strategic issues in choosing deployment of product platform development in an industrial network often involving multiple brands. This is done through identifying types and characteristics of four generically different product platform strategies and clarifying strategic motives and differences. Number of platforms and number of product brands are identified as the two most important dimensions when distinguishing between generically different platform strategies. A strategic sampling is made resulting in in-depth longitudinal case studies in two automotive groups. Depending on company context, strategic objectives, and plans for future growth, the four types of generic product platform strategies raise different challenges and issues to deal with when realising product platform development in an industrial network. The four types of identified platform strategies with their different challenges and issues represent an addition and contribution to existing literature, which does not make any distinction between various kinds of platform strategies.