Decoupling thinking is a powerful tool that has helped companies to balance between short lead-times and low inventory holding costs but mainly with focus on production and distribution. The research presented in this paper shows the potential of using decoupling thinking also in new product development within manufacturing industry, mainly by combining decoupling thinking in the two dimensions of engineering and production, in line with Wikner och Rudberg (2005). This could be especially helpful for companies that struggle with long lead-times in both engineering and production but who cannot complete engineering before the customer order has been received.