Modular product development for mass customization

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Modularization Assessment of Product Architecture

Modularization refers to the opportunity for mixing-and-matching of components in a modular product design in which the standard interfaces between components are specified to allow for a range of variation in components to be substituted in a product architecture. It is through mixing-and-matching of these components, and how these components interface with one another, that new systems are created. Consequently, the degree of modularization inherent in a system is highly dependent upon the components and the interface constraints shared among the components, modules, and sub-systems. In this paper, a mathematical model is derived for analyzing the degree of modularization in a given product architecture by taking into consideration the number of components, number of interfaces, the composition of new-to-the-firm (NTF) components, and substitutability of components. An analysis of Chrysler windshield wipers controller suggests that two product architectures may share similar interface constraints, but the opportunity for modularization of one module is significant higher than the other due to the higher substitutability of its components and lower composition of NTF components.Product architecture, modularization, substitutability, new product development

Identification and analysis of the driving factors for product modularity by Interpretive Structural Modelling

Goal: The purpose of this study is to identify the driving factors that affects modular product design and development and to determine the contextual relationships between the identified factors. Design / Methodology / Approach: This research study adopted both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In qualitative part, an extensive literature review is conducted along with interviews with the experts experienced in product design and development in order to identify and sorted out the driving factors for product modularity. In quantitative part, all the identified factors were analyzed through Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) method. MICMAC (Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquéeáun Classement (cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) analysis is carried out to determine the relative driving and dependency power of the factors. Results: The contribution of this paper is the identification of the factors associated with developing a modular product. Through the use of ISM diagraph, the identified factors were clustered into different layers based on their driving and dependency characteristics. The ISM diagram also presented the relationship between one factor over others and the reason for such relationship. Such a diagram offers decision maker better visibility on the factor that they need to consider or strategy they need to implement to improve their modular product design and development architecture. The results from this research study encompass organizational managers for handling multiple design views, controlling design related interfaces and ranking the status and progress of product modularity and design completeness. Practical implications: The study outcomes support product designers to optimize their product development processes, especially to develop modular products. The presented methodology can be used extensively used by the product designers/planners/managers to find the driving factors related to modular product design and development. Originality / Value: The originality of this research study is to deploy the ISM approach, which can be used by the organizational managers and/or product designers to plan product development strategies. Such strategies help to them to make necessary decisions on resources allocations. Limitations of the investigation: The outcomes from this research may not be generalize sufficiently due to subjectivity of the interviewers.© 2020 Brazilian Association of Production Engineering (ABEPRO). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Rolling Out a "World Car": Globalization, Outsourcing and Modularity

This article presents a case study of the ?roll-out? of a "world car" (the Fiat Palio). Based on original fieldwork carried on by the author in 6 countries (Italy, Brazil, Poland, Turkey, Argentina, India), it describes one of the most diverse international strategies in the recent history of the auto industry and represents an interesting terrain for analyzing how, in relationship with globalization, outsourcing and modularity play an increasing role in auto design and manufacturing. The article addresses the following research questions: 1) Does the "world car" approach represent a sustainable and robust strategy? 2) Is there a relationship between globalization, modularization and outsourcing in the auto industry? 3) Can these concepts be used to map out future developments and transformations in the contracting structure of the auto industry? This field study shows that producing and selling in many different places a car that involves absolute cross-country identity of interior/exterior design, parts, and quality standards (a "world car") represents an innovative and sustainable strategy. It also highlights that the robustness of this strategy decreases as the international scope and time span of the ?global? project increase. The Fiat Palio story also represents the first in depth analysis of what are, at the firm level, the dynamics that link globalization, outsourcing and modularization in the auto industry. The article confirms that modularization a) is a vaguely defined and ambiguously used term in the auto industry; b) is a broad concept, applicable and applied to a number of systems (product design, manufacturing, work organization, etc.); c) has only recently moved its first steps in auto design and manufacturing. The embryonic applications of modularity in design, manufacturing and organization reported in this study are used to map out future developments and transformations in the product architectures and organizational architectures of the auto industry. The article also suggests that, within a global strategy, modularization and outsourcing, though remaining conceptually distinct, tend to become, in practice, increasingly inseparable. The modularization of design, production and organization is intimately related to how, while trying to save costs, reduce risky investment, and manage the institutional constraints deriving from globalization, OEMs and suppliers partition their tasks, defining a new international division of labor