A model for commonality and modularity of table top family design: Finding the right balance with a platform-based approach for a sustainable future

Abstract

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.