Stage Gates to Integrate Manufacturing to the Product Development Process: Case Study in Automotive Company

The objective of this paper is to analyze the application of the stage-gates method (phase review) as a mechanism for integration and management between the product development process (PDP) and manufacturing, which is the first customer of the development teams. Using the stage-gates method, it is possible to ensure that manufacturing constraints and capabilities are incorporated and managed during the PDP. With the results obtained in the case study, it suggests that the stage-gates is a mechanism that, properly systematized, can contribute to greater efficiency of the PDP through the integration of manufacturing in the early stages of development.