Framework for releasing preliminary information in product development

To reduce the throughput time of development processes, companies overlap phases by starting downstream processes on preliminary information. In practice, starting on preliminary information involves the release of preliminary documents to downstream processes. Current release and change control procedures are focused on avoiding risk and therefore seem not suitable for starting on preliminary information. This paper presents a conceptual framework of how companies can integrate working with preliminary documents into their traditional release and change control procedures. The framework has been validated in two companies. The result is a normative framework that can be used by companies that want to reduce throughput time by starting on preliminary information in a controlled manner. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.