Collaboration
between buyer and the supplier has been widely studied in the
contemporary research to enhance the efficiency of the product
development process. Early involvement of stakeholders in development
leads to reduced development time and cost and enhanced quality. The
current study presents an approach termed as ‘collaborative and lean’
(C&L) approach to new product development (NPD). It involves
application of lean principles in a collaborative environment between an
automotive component supplier and the original equipment manufacturer
(OEM). The study compares the deployment of two methodologies of
development – generic process and the C&L process for developing the
same part by a supplier for two different OEMs. Development with one
OEM was done using generic process and the other using the C&L
process. The study uses value stream mapping of the various phases of
the development and attempts to understand the application of the
proposed approach in the automotive domain. It highlights the potential
of a combined C&L approach in reducing non-value-adding activities,
cycle time and effort during NPD. The study attempts to enhance the
understanding of NPD in a collaborative environment and explores the
possible merits of the proposed approach.