A model for commonality and modularity of table top family design: Finding the right balance with a platform-based approach for a sustainable future
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Product development (MPPDE), MSc
Publicerad
2020
Författare
Eshagi, Leo
Ramezani, Asghar
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Over the years IKEA has developed over 700 tabletops. In the current range of
tabletops, similarities can be found between several of them. The purpose of this
project is to find the similarities among the tabletops, propose to eliminate tabletops
with too many similarities and suggest a potential platform for the tabletops. Five
research questions were then raised to be answered as the objective of the project:
1. What are the major factors (organizational, cost, logistics, production) in the
current IKEA’s tabletops strategy (not platform-based)? What needs to be
changed (in IKEA’s lean development process) to move for a platform-based
approach?
2. What are the cost factors (development, production, and logistics) in today’s
product portfolio in tabletops and how could a platforming strategy affect
these factors?
3. How to calculate the supply cost of today’s product portfolio compared to a
platform-based approach portfolio?
4. How to analyse (calculate complexity, and standardization) the current products
(Tabletops) in an efficient way to develop the right standard procedure
for other products (beyond tabletops)?
5. What metrics exits that shows the trade-off of internal complexity vs customer
options? How can these be used to evaluate the current range and compare
future scenarios?
To extend our knowledge and be able to answer the research questions, numerous
theoretical methods such as literature study and research interviews were used, with
the main subject of platform and modularization development and planning. These
theoretical methods allowed to identify the benefits and drawbacks of platform and
modularization strategy as well as the reasons why tabletops with a high degree
of similarities have been developed over the years. In addition to the theoretical
methods, logical methods were also used to categorize the tabletops in different
groups based on different parameters such as their shape with subgroups based on
different materials with the purpose of comparing them to one another easier. It was
also necessary to gather data regarding the tabletops which was used to develop a
differentiation and commonality plan that allowed to see the trade-off of developing
tabletops based on platform and modularization strategy. With the collected and
analysed data different size clusters could be found which resulted in three different
platforms that was made based on their shape and size. Except for fining potential
platforms, the task was to identify tabletops with too many similarities. With
the collected data, compiled in spreadsheets similarities between the tabletops was
identified. That resulted with suggestions of eliminating ten different tabletops. The
improved methods needed to be analyzed to see potential time and cost savings.
The development method was then analyzed by using an estimation method, and
the result clearly showed that the method could save approximately around 50 % in
development time.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Tabletops, IKEA, Platform, Modularity, Circular economy