engineering design in the british auto industry
There is a reported a long-standing problem in the British automotive industry of poor engineering design with consequent requirement for costly late modifications.
A hypothesis
The Japanese auto makers have system-driven design, whereas the British (and the Americans) have traditionally had a component-drive design. It is therefore hypothesised that a root cause of the British problem lies in poor deign practices of and at technology and other interfaces.
Proposal to test this hypothesis
Review late modification statistics available from an OEM auto manufacturer, and analyse for any links and correlations to specific interfaces. Investigate current design practice and methods for dealing with these interfaces, spending equal time in the OEM and selected suppliers; this investigation should include observation and questioning key people.
This work should be carried out by people who have an 'other industry' perspective.
If the hypothesis is confirmed, this could lead to new apporaches to interface design aimed at achieving zero late modifications. If not, then the investigation will provide insights for proposing and testing further hyptheses.
NOTE: This problem is not confined to automotive manfacturing. This poses the question as to why this seems a particularly British problem. Will it be, or is it, generational? What can we do to break out from it, while still playing to British strengths (ingenuity, making unlikely things work, crisis management)?