OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

0226 Product Design I.docx

Product Design

Ensure that the following are considered in your product design:

Design for (DFx):

Manufacturability: Is your design easy to assemble? Are parts easy to acquire?

Yes, we designed our product in order to assemble it quickly and easily. The parts would be relatively simple to find if you just went to your local hardware store. Our goal is to have a product that can be built using products all coming from the same store.

Test: How is the product going to be tested? Can it be replicated each time a part is tested?

We will test the product by first putting it in a controlled environment, such as a large box or walled area where the robot can operate. After it passes this test we would put it in a free environment, without barriers to ensure that the product is controllable and stays in one area.

Sustainability: Does your product use recycled material? Can your product be recycled?

We used recycled plastic to create the motor cover as well as the battery case. Both the motor cover and battery case may be recycled. However, other parts such as the large brush, moving eyes, screws, etc. cannot be recycled. The product must be taken apart before it can be recycled.

Logistics: Is your product easy to ship? Is your packaging environmentally friendly?

In order to ship out product we would use corrugated boxes, a recyclable product that comes in many different shapes and sizes. In order to make shipping easier and faster we would use a small cube style that fits our product but also offers extra space for padding. In order to safely ship our product Corn Starch Packing Peanut would be surrounding our product to ensure secure shipping. The packing peanuts are biodegradable and decompose in water leaving no toxic waste. They are also FDA compliant and are made of static-free organic starch.

Serviceability: Can your product be serviced in the event that it fails?

We will offer free return shipping in order for us to repair the product as well as offer customer support from 9:00am to 5:00pm on the weekdays. If a customer wishes to repair the broken product on their own we would provide multiple possible problems on our website with step-by-step solutions on how to fix the product. If this fails to solve the problem, customer service will be happy to help.

Ergonomics: Is your product easy to use? Can it injure the user?

Our product would be very easy to use, all the consumer would have to do is press the “On” button and place the robot in the area they would like to clean. Although it would hard for buyers to injure themselves using the product due to it’s small size, we would include on the packages to keep the product away from small children.

Cost: Can your product be produced cost effectively? What are your future cost reduction plans?

Our product will cost $12.00 to make. In the future, we plan on further reducing these costs by building strong relationships with our suppliers for lower prices as well as purchase parts in bulk at a lower cost.

Lean Six Sigma (Quality & Efficiency): What is the expected failure rate? How much waste is produced during the manufacturing process? How do you intend to reduce rework?

We expect a 5% failure rate from our product. WASTE??? We intend to reduce rework by carefully planning out and testing our product before manufacturing it.

Create at least 2 generations of your product design to include in your Operations Plan.

1st Generation (must include the following required parts, at a minimum)

1st Generation Product Specification(s)

2nd Generation Product Specification(s)

Please consider the following:

What does the demand look like? Volume? Timing?

The demand for this product will increase since many children as well as robot enthusiasts will enjoy this product. In addition this product will help with cleaning tasks and be more efficient than the standard vacuum cleaner. We will have a small volume at first to try out specific markets (500-600) and within the next year or two we will hopefully double that figure.

What support do you need from the Finance Department? How do you support them?

We need the finance department to analyze specific ratios such as ROE, Profit Margins and do capital budgeting projects. We need to analyze NPV as well as the IRR for these projects to see which ones are profitable and to run the business efficiently. We support them by giving them correct information about various costs, suppliers, rival firms and sales numbers

What support do you need from the Accounting Department? How do you support them?

We need the accounting department to do tasks such as journal entries and creating our financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, cash flows). We need competent accountants to help use analyze how our financials are created as well as methods such as cost accountants. Like the finance department, we give them correct information about production costs, suppliers, and revenue

What support do you need from the Marketing Department? How do you support them?

We need the marketing department to do marketing research, work with salesmen, create marketing events to develop a strong brand, and other duties. We support them by providing sales information, information about rivals, and market information.

What support do you need from the Engineering Department? How do you support them?

We need the Engineering Department to help design these products and make them as agronomical as possible. We need engineers to make sure the products function correctly and make sure that they are safe for the consumers. Engineers can help adjust these products in relation to consumer taste. We support them by giving them product requirements as well as information about costs and consumer demand.

Start

500-600 units

1 year

Peak

1000-1200 units ( can double again based on demand)

2-3 years

Decline

4 years- undefined date

Can Decline be 10-15% a year (e.x from 2000 to 1800 per year)

DSCI 303 Spring 2015 Page 1 of 4