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10 Stupid Things to Avoid Developing Products
with solutions
by Dr. David M. Anderson, P.E., CMC

1. Goals without methods, which Dr. Deming says is cruel
Stupid: Issue cost goals and expect results, like chanting "Show me the money"
Smart: Use DFM to develop low-cost products and other strategies to save cost

2. Taking all orders
Stupid: Take all orders; accept all customizations; bid everything
Smart: Prioritize fulfillment efforts on the highest return for the effort ,   rationalize product lines,   develop product families, and Mass- Customize products

3. Be everything to everybody
Stupid: Develop products for all markets against all competitors
Smart: Prioritize fulfillment efforts on the highest return for the effort

4. Rushing Everything
Stupid: “Show me early progress;" "Just get something working and throw it over-the-wall;  we’ll sort it out later”
Smart: Thorough up-front work cuts in half the time to stable production;  for new technology, commercialize the design to optimize manufacturability

5. Teams are only for sports
Stupid: “Manufacturing just builds what Engineering throws over the wall”
Smart: Use Multifunctional teamwork to cut resource needs in half (look for the "Current Engineering Spectrum' in this linked article)

6. People are an expense
Stupid: “People, especially those on ‘overhead,’ are an expense that should be minimized”
Smart: Make sure resources are available for multifunctional teams, which will reduce resource demands later

7.  Take out cost later
Stupid: “Don’t worry about cost now; we have _____ years to get the cost out”
Smart: Design low cost products

8. Cheap parts and low-bidders always cost less
Stupid: “Go for the cheap parts and the low-bidders”
Smart: Quality parts lower quality costs; Design for Quality; and work early with Vendor Partners

9. Offshoring saves money
Stupid: Chase cheap labor around the world, even if it thwarts Concurrent Engineering and raises many “hidden” costs
Smart: Keep production close to designers and customers

10. No need to change anything
Stupid: “We’re fine; no need to change; besides, change is hard to pull off”
Smart: Implement Design for Manufacturability,   Design for Quality,   Design for Growth,   Lean Production, and Build-to-Order & Mass Customization
 

Companies that do stupid things squander a lot of resources, which prevents them from doing the smart things.
In fact, Dr. Anderson has
encountered several companies that are wasting 2/3 of their product development resources
just trying to do #7 (cost reduction after design), #8 (low-bidding) and #9 (offshoring),
which means they have no future!

In his 25 years of teaching DFM and cost reduction,
Dr. Anderson has observed all of the above, and their consequences, and has many solutions.

IFeel free to forward this to anyone who might appreciate it.

Call Dr. Anderson at 1-805-924-0100 (Pacific Time Zone) to discuss implementing these techniques or e-mail him at anderson@build-to-order-consulting.com with your name, title, company, phone, types of products, and needs/opportunities.

             or fill out the form at the bottom of www.design4manufacturability.com/implementation.htm

Contact Dr. David M. Anderson, fASME, P.E., CMC
www.design4manufacturability.com
Build-to-Order-Consulting.com http
http://www.halfcostproducts.com
phone: 1-805-924-0100
fax: 1-805-924-0200
e-mail: anderson@build-to-order-consulting.com

 

copyright © 2016 by David M. Anderson

Book-length web-site on Half Cost Products: www.HalfCostProducts.com

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