Conflicts are known to exist at the interface between product design and manufactur ing. These conflicts cause frequent cost overruns and product introduction delays. In many traditional companies, the product-design group signs off on the design, and then they ''throw it over the wall." The group responsible for manufacturability takes over and reexamines the design for cost-effective mass production. While product design may have focused on performance and aesthetics, manufacturing looks after production efficiency. Also contributing to these conflicts are other factors such as (1) funding peri ods for design and manufacturing that do not overlap, (2) differences in education be
tween design and manufacturing staff, and (3) offices that are not at the same location. :r
Some of these difficulties may be removed by way of organizing. Organizational options for improving the design-manufacturing interface include the following (Dean and Susman 1989):