Complex balancing act

The desire to give customers choice and a wide variety of options when selecting their new car has the downside of product complexity. Product complexity is one issue being investigated in the premium automotive R&D programme (Pard) at the International Automotive Research Centre, Warwick, UK. The project will aim to achieve a set of methods that will allow top-of-the-range carmakers like Jaguar to determine as early as possible in the design phase which options will add value and which will merely add cost. Much of the cost of variety is hidden. Two existing tools are being examined. The first is a 'PVI Matrix', which identifies the number of parts each option in an assembly might require, how often they are used and how much they cost. The second is a large-scale extension of the value-stream mapping technique used in lean manufacturing. The tools are being applied to existing products and parts to determine examples of negative variety. The results are likely to come in two areas, in managing product complexity through design and in manufacturing and logistics control. The overall aim is to develop a cost model that can be used by car companies and their suppliers.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09536639
• Authors:
  • PULLIN, J
• Publication Date: 2005-1-26

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 32-3
• Serial:
  • PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: WOODBRIDGE PRESS
  • ISSN: 0953-6639

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Design; Economics; Industries; Manufactures; Mathematical models; Research projects; Software; Variables; Vehicle components; Vehicles
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 1354: Components of the vehicle; 224: Cost; 9011: Design (overall design); 255: Economics; 332: Industry; 3647: Manufacture; 6473: Mathematical model; 8557: Research project; 8645: Software; 8119: United Kingdom; 9086: Variability; 1255: Vehicle
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Finance; Research; Vehicles and Equipment; I10: Economics and Administration; I90: Vehicles;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01027050
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Jul 5 2006 12:19PM