Integrative mechanisms for multiteam integration: Findings from five case studies

Abstract

Many product development programs contain multiple integrated product teams (IPTs) and functional support groups. Interteam information dependencies greatly affect program success. Organization integration has thus become an issue of increasing interest. This paper focuses on the realm of team interdependence and categorizes and explores several integrative mechanisms (IMs) that facilitate interteam integration. IMs are strategies and tools for effectively coordinating actions across groups within a program. The IM categorization scheme should prove useful to those developing an integration “tool kit.” This paper explores the use of IMs in real programs, summarizing findings from five case studies at Chrysler, General Electric Aircraft Engines, Boeing, Sundstrand, and Raytheon Systems. As the appropriateness of a given IM varies as a function of many parameters—such as program stage, size, complexity, risk, etc.—this research does not formulate a universal template for IM application. Rather, the hope is that the lessons learned by these five programs will help others determine the suitability of particular IMs in their situations. This paper centers on studies in the defense aerospace industry (with two commercial cases and one nonaerospace case), but the implications extend to any system development program. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 1: 95—112, 1998