Reference process for the development of an engineering strategy

The critical influence of functional strategies on business success is undisputed, as well as the impact of engineering. Surprisingly, research on functional strategies for engineering organizations is scarce. Purpose: this contribution aims to provide engineering organizations with a guideline for the development and implementation of engineering strategies. Approach: first, a literature review determines the state of research for functional strategies i.e. which functional strategies are in the focus of research. The review also aims to evaluate approaches for the development of functional strategies. Then, a market analysis gives an overview of consulting offers for strategy development. To gain insight on how engineering strategies are developed in industrial practice, seven projects which focused on strategy development were analyzed. Findings: based on the analysis of seven functional strategy development projects a reference process for the planning and implementation of an engineering strategy is presented. Originality: there is a large body of literature on business and corporate strategies. On a functional level research focuses on marketing, procurement and manufacturing strategy. Functional strategies for engineering received no attention in the literature yet.