A Collaborative Innovation Methodology Involving Clients, Plastics Moulders and Mould Making Industry

The issue of vertical partnerships between large companies and their small and medium sized suppliers is not original. However, with the product life cycle reduction, the increasing level of product customization and the companies rising specialization in their core business have brought this issue to the frontline. Similarly, for some of the previous reasons, there is an increasing trend for the reduction in the production volumes for some products. In this paper a methodology for collaborative innovation is presented targeting the development of new business, organizational and technological approaches for small production volumes. The methodology is based on a strong collaborative work between the client company and its suppliers, attempting a reformulation in the design, the productive process and the business model, aiming a general target cost. The methodology will be applied on the design and production of a large plastic injected part for BRISA, a portuguese highway company, with an expected low market volume, finding new solutions that allow an increase in the competitiveness of the injection moulding process.