Chapter 1: Evolution of Vehicle Development Process

Fundamentals of Integrated Vehicle Realization is a unique and solid contribution to the subject of product development, centered on the automotive industry. Automotive manufacturers and suppliers are under pressure to transform themselves and deliver a higher level of product refinement coupled with more functionality. This could lead to the sprouting of organizational structures not in alignment with the required product development phases. Consequently, many product development initiatives may be cancelled or dropped at later stages despite all the efforts and financial investments. Therefore, it is vital that organizational unity be always intact during any transformation. A highly effective organization should always act as one cohesive entity dedicated to serving the customer with creative aptitude, integrative skills, analytical thinking, and synergistic management. Written by Dr. Mohamed El-Sayed, director of the School of Engineering Technology at Eastern Michigan University, Fundamentals of Integrated Vehicle Realization addresses an essential need for deep knowledge in the realm of vehicle development process, from idealization to market launch. The book covers realization process phases, process and vehicle characteristics and attributes, front-end innovation, virtual and physical realization, among other topics.