Innovative design in factory: new methods to go from closed to expandable prescriptions at the shop floor

International audienceThis paper explores the question of the design activity at the shop floor level. The design activity has been confined for a large part in the design and the methods office. However, a certain form of design adapted to the factory remains. It is necessary to solve the problems that appear during the manufacturing process and to improve the productivity. However another form of design can emerge; it has a stronger impact on the factory, since the rules of the manufacturing system are modified under its effect. The paper studies 21 cases of design in the Airbus factory at Saint-Nazaire. It shows that the design activity does exist at the shop floor level. It characterizes this activity distinguishing two types of design that can co-exist in a factory. It shows that the type of results reached is not the same according to the type of design implemented

Innovative design on the shop floor of the Saint-Nazaire Airbus factory

International audienceIn this study, we examine innovative design practices on the Saint-Nazaire Airbus factory shop floor. The engineering and manufacturing engineering departments are in charge of the design of products and their industrialization, even though the factory is usually seen as a place for manufacturing, rather than design. However, there is also design activity in a factory that is devoted to the optimization of manufacturing processes. In this study, we highlight an alternative form of design that relies on a collective exploratory approach. A total of 30 projects from the Saint-Nazaire Airbus factory were selected and analyzed. Of these, two were selected as case studies to illustrate the factory's different design methods. Subsequently, quantitative analysis provided evidence of the existence of two design regimes: closed prescription and expandable prescription. The resulting solutions were examined, and it was found that designs under the expandable prescription regime provided more robust long-term solutions. This study offers new perspectives for reexamining innovation in manufacturing and exploring design activity on factory shop floors

THE MANAGEMENT NEEDS FOR AN INNOVATIVE DESIGN APPROACH AT THE SHOP FLOOR LEVEL: THE CASE OF THE AIRBUS' SAINT- NAZAIRE FACTORY

International audienceThe paper studies the management needs for innovative design in a factory. An experiment launched in the Airbus's factory at Saint-Nazaire shows that an innovative type of design can exist in a factory. It offers long-term solutions for manufacturing and redefines the performance at the shop floor level. The following article questions the management needs for this design. The paper is based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of 30 cases of design approaches, innovative or more conservative one. The article shows that the composition of the team, the role of the leader and the available means to drive the approach are critical in the management, and differ from the management generally applied in an industrial context (continuous improvement or industry 4.0). It gives keys to the practitioner to consider the management practices adapted to an innovation approach at the shop floor level