DESIGN PROCESS PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

Organisational performance measurement is a multi-faceted and complex concern requiring considerable insight into the inter-dependencies that exist between organisational activities and variables. Current approaches to performance measurement and management remain focused upon the need to articulate and communicate a strategy throughout an organisation. However, the decomposition of organisational strategies, which are disseminated to activities within the product development process, supports one direction of the management of organisational performance. We require the ability to determine how well an activity has performed, been managed and executed with respect to the strategy(s) realisation. Effective operational management is thus required to ensure that, where applicable, the means exists to realise strategic objectives through the execution of efficient and effective operational activities. Specific issues regarding the measurement of performance within an organisational context are discussed, highlighting the need for effectively managing the process of performance measurement. Further, this paper discusses specific areas where performance measurement is required within the product development process, reflecting the complex interactions that can occur between process activities, whilst providing the feedback necessary to enable the effective management of process and organisational performance.