Modularization as a systematic way to split up products into subsystems for achieving certain strategic goals is a common approach to implement hybrid competitive strategies such as outpacing or mass customization. The modular product architecture is therefore the technical foundation, which defines the modules themselves and their interaction to be able to combine them and reuse them as often as possible. To build up a modular product architecture is time consuming and expensive. All advantages of a modularization strategy can only be fully realized when the build is completed and one crucial requirement is fulfilled. The modular product architecture, once defined, should be kept stable. However there is a danger for such product architecture stability arising from contant and unavoidable technical changes of components of modules. To ensure product architecture stability, despite upcoming technical changes the Engineering Change Management and the ECM relevant IT-Systems must be adapted by an integrated organisational and informational design. Such an adaptation will be supported by the methodology of this thesis. Therefore first of all the basic knowledge regarding Modularization, Engineering Change Management and ECM relevant IT-Systems is described. Based on this basic knowledge the current state of research and current state of the art is analyzed. The result of this analysis is, that there is no research conducted so far, which describes an approach to adapt the ECM and ECM relevant IT-Systems to the requirements of a modularization strategy under consideration of an organisational and informational design. The research already conducted has focused either on organisational or informational adaptations. This thesis aims to close this research gap. To make the adaptation of ECM and ECM relevant IT-Systems possible, first it needs to be determined, what the specific requirements are, depending on the implementation of a modularization strategy for the ECM and the ECM relevant IT-Systems. To determine the specific requirements the first artefact of the thesis is designed: The “model to describe interactions between modularization and technical changes”. Based on this model, 21 requirements are derived, which need to be fulfilled by the ECM and the ECM relevant IT-Systems to not jeopardise the strategic goals of a modularization strategy through technical changes. This step is followed by identifying all aspects to be considered for designing ECM and ECM relevant IT-Systems in context of a modularization strategy. The identification of the design aspects is conducted by the second artefact of this thesis, the “conceptual framework to design ECM and ECM relevant IT-Systems regarding a modularization strategy”. The conceptual framework contains four design dimensions and 19 related design elements. The conceptual framework is designed to be the basic structure of a morphological box. With this design it is possible to support a creative and structured solution-finding process. Finally to be able to execute the adaptation of ECM and ECM relevant IT-Systems based on the determination of specific requirements and the identification of all relevant design aspects, there is a need for the third artefact of this thesis: The “method for adaptation of ECM and ECM relevant IT-Systemes regarding the requirements of a modularization strategy”. The method describes a procedure in seven steps, so that a company is able to find a company-specific solution for its adaptation of ECM and ECM relevant IT-Systems under consideration of the local circumstances. Within the procedure in steps four and seven there is an assessment of the solution, which is a conceptual one in step four and the real implemented solution in step seven. With this assessment it is possible to find a company-specific suitable solution. These three artefacts, which in combination build the respective methodology, were evaluated within a case study of Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH. The case study was conducted over more than two years and has brought up two main results: First of all, the methodology has led to a company-specific suitable adaptation of the ECM and the ECM relevant IT-Systems regarding the requirements of the local modularization strategy. Secondly, the methodology itself has contributed on a high level, to this positive adaptation and was easily applicable for the use within the company. Overall this thesis contributes to the area of organisational and informational design related to Engineering Change Management and ECM relevant IT-Systems within the context of a modularization strategy. The evaluated methodology supports companies to find a company specific suitable solution to adapt their ECM and ECM relevant IT-Systems, under consideration of the local circumstances.    «

Modularization as a systematic way to split up products into subsystems for achieving certain strategic goals is a common approach to implement hybrid competitive strategies such as outpacing or mass customization. The modular product architecture is therefore the technical foundation, which defines the modules themselves and their interaction to be able to combine them and reuse them as often as possible. To build up a modular product architecture is time consuming and expensive. All advantages...    »