Using Prototypes to Leverage Knowledge in Product Development: Examples from the Automotive Industry

This article is rooted in the automotive industry as starting point, and discusses the topic of leveraging tacit knowledge through prototypes. The aim of this study is to make the case of using reflective and affirmative prototypes for knowledge creating and transferal in the product development process. After providing an overview on learning and knowledge, the Socialization, Externalization, Combination and Internalization (SECI) model is discussed in detail, with a clear distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge. Based on this model, we propose a framework of using said reflective and affirmative prototypes in an external vs. internal learning/knowledge capturing and transferal setting. Rounded by two case examples from the automotive industry we end by identifying the emergent research questions and areas. Using prototypes and prototyping may hold a monumental potential to better capture and transfer knowledge in product development, thus leveraging existing integration events in engineering as a basis for knowledge transformation.