How do you reduce waste in your product design?

1 Define customer value

The first step to reduce waste in your product design is to define what value your product delivers to your customers. Value is what the customer is willing to pay for, and it depends on their needs, expectations, and preferences. By understanding your customer value proposition, you can focus your product design on the features and functions that matter most to them, and eliminate or minimize the ones that do not. You can use tools such as surveys, interviews, personas, and value stream mapping to identify and validate your customer value.

2 Eliminate overproduction

Overproduction is the waste of producing more than what the customer needs or wants, or producing it earlier than required. Overproduction can lead to excess inventory, storage costs, obsolescence, and quality issues. To eliminate overproduction in your product design, you should adopt a pull-based approach, where you only produce what the customer demands, when they demand it. You can use techniques such as just-in-time production, kanban, and batch size reduction to synchronize your production with your customer demand.

3 Reduce waiting time

Waiting time is the waste of idle time between processes or activities, due to delays, bottlenecks, or lack of coordination. Waiting time can result in longer lead times, lower productivity, and higher costs. To reduce waiting time in your product design, you should optimize your workflow and eliminate any unnecessary or redundant steps. You can use techniques such as value stream mapping, process mapping, and flowcharting to analyze and improve your product design process.

4 Optimize transportation

Transportation is the waste of moving materials, parts, or products from one place to another, without adding any value. Transportation can increase the risk of damage, loss, or errors, as well as consume time, energy, and space. To optimize transportation in your product design, you should minimize the distance and frequency of movements, and ensure that they are safe and efficient. You can use techniques such as layout design, 5S, and cellular manufacturing to organize your workspace and reduce transportation waste.

5 Minimize inventory

Inventory is the waste of storing excess materials, parts, or products that are not being used or sold. Inventory can tie up capital, space, and resources, as well as deteriorate or become obsolete over time. To minimize inventory in your product design, you should align your production with your customer demand, and avoid overstocking or understocking. You can use techniques such as inventory management, material requirements planning, and cycle counting to control and monitor your inventory levels.

6 Avoid defects

Defects are the waste of producing products that do not meet the quality standards or customer requirements, and require rework, repair, or replacement. Defects can cause customer dissatisfaction, warranty claims, and reputation damage, as well as increase costs and waste. To avoid defects in your product design, you should implement quality control and assurance measures throughout your product design process, and prevent or detect errors as early as possible. You can use techniques such as quality function deployment, failure mode and effects analysis, and poka-yoke to ensure quality in your product design.

7 Enhance motion

Motion is the waste of unnecessary or excessive movements of people, machines, or equipment, that do not add any value. Motion can cause fatigue, injury, or errors, as well as consume time and energy. To enhance motion in your product design, you should eliminate or simplify any movements that are not required or optimal, and ensure that they are ergonomic and comfortable. You can use techniques such as motion study, work measurement, and kaizen to analyze and improve your motion efficiency.

8 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?