Modelling and simulating the effect of coordination on pd performance while handling change

Analysing effect of coordination on performance of complex Product Development (PD) processes and understanding impact of change within PD processes on performance have been recognised as pivotal in acquiring insights into behaviour of PD process. Therefore, this paper focuses on effect of information flow coordination on PD performance while handling change. A computer model was developed to capture PD processes and simulations were carried out considering two communication models, centralised and decentralised. An initiation of change was simulated to study the effectiveness of each communication model while handling change through measuring performance. Results were collated for both with and without change set-ups. Findings showed evidence on existence of a strong relationship between coordinator effectiveness and project performance. Importance of having right number of integrators for coordination with apt communication model was also observed. Moreover, as a result of exploring an under-researched area, the paper also presents suggestions for future research to further develop the understanding of coordinators role in design process in handling changes.