Research Of Product Platform Planning And Its Application In Motorcycle Companies

One of the factors that clearly differentiate innovative companies from others is the constancy of their devotion to strong products and to the need to constantly improve them over time, which is the key that companies win customers. The traditional product development based on the strategy of single product hasn't already met diversified needs of customers. In new market environment, companies need a new development strategy, based on which product development can meet diversified needs of customers and at the same time reduces cost. Product platform strategy is exactly the new development strategy. Product platform strategy uses standard parts to induce cost, and at the same time develops product family based on product platform to meet various market needs.Product platform planning is one important step of product development based on platform strategy. The paper sums up product platform theories of scholars at home and abroad. Considering of the fact of our nation's manufacturing especially motorcycle companies, the paper presents that product platform planning is of great importance to product platform development, and then creationarily founds product platform planning theories. The research of product platform planning of one motorcycle company is given in the end. The main efforts of this paper follow.1. The meaning of platform strategy is introduced, and the evolvement of the concept of platform is given. Based on analyzing uncertainty of markets and technologies and complexity of platform development, the paper presents that product platform planning is important components of product development based platform strategy.2. The model of product development process based on product platform is established. Based on analyzing the model of single product development process, the author establishes the model of product development process based on product platform, which is developed from DFMC process model. Product platform planning is included in the process model.3. Product platform planning theories is creationarily presented. The frame model of product platform planning is founded. The author presents that product platform planning includes strategic and design planning, strategic planning includes product line planning,technology roadmapping and establishing the model of product platform leveraging, and design planning includes establishing platform architecture and components' sensitivity 4. The key technologies of product platform planning are researched. The model of product line planning is founded, the method of product line analysis and the strategy of product line development are given. The technology roadmapping model is given, and several kinds of technology roadmaps are given. The sensitivities of components is made certain by Variety Index, and the process of calculating Variety Index is given.5. Based on analyzing the good qualities and shortcoming of product platform planning model, the paper founds the model of platform leveraging based on market,technology roadmap and time.6. Taking XX motorcycle company as an example, the paper researches product platform planning, which's body is product line planning. By product line analysis, the strategies of product line development are established.