All companies need to be mindful of costs & for those producing products this is best done at the Design stage. Here are some suggestions:-
- Before beginning the design a Product Specification is essential, this needs to have been agreed at Senior Management level.
- The product design needs to meet the spec and no more.
- The material choice is critical, why make it out of gold if steel will do.
- Use minimum thickness, as long as the design meets the spec.
- Reduce the number of components as much as possible.
- Re-use existing design components wherever possible – this gives Purchasing negotiating strength over suppliers and reduces inventory.
- Consider Manufacturing by minimizing the number of process steps in manufacture.
- Hold regular Design reviews & involve other parts of the Organization.
- Build a prototype to test the design.
- If possible test the Design using Computer Aided Modelling.
If you need help minimizing cost at the Design stage feel free to get in touch.
chris@amberhill-associates.com
