Virtual Product Development Models: Characterization of Global Geographic Issues

Because product development processes now take place within a geographically diverse international community, global geographic issues relating to both physical and human elements of geography must be considered to ensure optimal deployment through means of virtual product development. Virtual product development is a strategy that preplans the product development process through simulation. Generating all possible product development process designs and simulations through virtual product development makes it possible to determine the optimal deployment option. In order to optimize in deployment, it is necessary to score each configuration based on a series of metrics that measure issues relevant to and affecting deployment. This paper presents a method by which global geographic issues may be effectively characterized in order to accurately represent their role in and influence on the product development process prior to deployment.