At the end of the previous blog I mentioned the concept of DFL (design for logistics), which is very friendly to shipping and storage， because IKEA takes into account the cost reduction of shipping and storage in the design phase of the product, thus optimizing the overall product cost and making the company’s products more competitive.
But the benefits of IKEA’s flat product design are not only in the reduced shipping costs but also in its modularity, as the product is divided into different parts, so that the customer can replace the damaged part at any time. This reflects the three characteristics of IKEA furniture: standardization of materials, generalization of components, and modulation of products. These economic benefits are demonstrated in the manufacturing and design stages. This leads to another important concept — DFM (Design for manufacturing). Other subsets include DFT (Design for Test), DFA (Design for Assembly), DFS (Design for Standards), and DFC (Design for Cost). IKEA is the best example of successful use of DFM.
IKEA takes into account the issue of reducing manufacturing costs at the product design stage, such as using modular product design and parallel manufacturing processes to shorten the production cycle significantly; its generic component design greatly simplifies the complexity of forecasting and inventory turnover; and its standardized material design greatly reduces procurement costs and the complexity of production.
This indicates that in the modern era where online shopping is trendy, it is crucial to take into account transportation issues and production issues in the product design stage to reduce the cost of logistics, manufacturing and other supply chain links. Therefore, the supply chain needs to establish a suitable synergy mechanism with product design to form a benign mutual development.
Reference:
The blog of Logistics at MGEPS at UPV 