Virtual production system development in product process

The approach presented in this paper has four elements. It is a SPOT approach: Strategy, Process, Organisation and Tools. The article covers the topics in a time-based strategy, product process and the use of virtual production development tools. Time-to-market is important; speed gives a competitive edge, but should not do so at the expense of quality of the development execution. The Stage-Gate Product Process is one technique for managing new product development in cross-functional teams. The product and production process development should be done in an integrated parallel manner. Production simulation and virtual manufacturing tools are valuable in the design of modern complex production systems. The visualisation of problems improves communication and understanding and leads to better decisions.