Product warranty management - III: A review of mathematical models

A variety of mathematical models have been developed to study different aspects of warranty. In this paper we carry out a comprehensive review of these models by classifying them into three categories based on consumer, manufacturer and public policy decision maker perspectives

Product warranty management - II: An integrated framework for study

There are many different aspects to warranty and a proper study of the subject requires a framework to integrate these in an effective manner. The systems approach offers such a framework. In this paper we focus our attention mainly on system characterization, the first step of the systems approach. We present alternate forms of system characterization for the study of warranty from three different perspectives, those of the consumer, the manufacturer and the public policy decision-maker. A system characterization is the starting point for model building. We briefly discuss the building of models for warranty study. A comprehensive review of the models developed in the past to study different aspects of warranty is done in the third of this sequence of papers

Warranty data and effective warranty management

Warranty serves a dual role: (i) signalling product reliability (ii) providing assurance. Offering warranty results in additional costs to the manufacturer and this cost depends on product reliability. Effective warranty management requires making proper warranty and reliability decisions during the design stage of new product development and revising the decisions based on warranty data. This paper deals with this topic and looks at several relevant issues. It also discusses some of the issues and challenges that need to be addressed in the future

Product warranty management - I: A taxonomy for warranty policies

Effective management of product warranty requires proper evaluation of alternative warranty policies. Many different types of warranty policies are in common use. Still others are discussed in the literature on product warranty. In this paper we formulate a taxonomy for warranty to assist the manager responsible for product warranty in choosing appropriate alternatives for evaluation before a final choice is made

Strategic warranty management: A life-cycle approach

The role of warranty has become increasingly important, both as a promotional (particularly where competing products are nearly indistinguishable) and as a protectional device (for complex and expensive products where customers need some assurance). Offering warranty implies additional cost to the manufacturer over the period from product launch to obsolescence. This cost is influenced bg technical decisions made prior to the launch. This paper develops a strategic approach to warranty management where warranty-related decisions are made in a framework encompassing the product life cycle and from a business perspective which links technical and commercial issues