Methodical Development of Modular Product Families: Developing High Product Diversity in a Manageable Way

Contents
About the Authors
List of Figures
List of Tables
1: Introduction and Motivation
	1.1	 Megatrends and their Impact on Product Development
		1.1.1	 A New Level of Individualization
		1.1.2	 Globalisation 2.0
		1.1.3	 New Consumption Structure
		1.1.4	 Technology Convergence and Stronger Innovation Dynamics
	1.2	 Consequences for Businesses
	1.3	 Resulting Challenges for Product Development
	1.4	 Modular Product Structures as a Solution Strategy
	1.5	 Aim and Structure of This Book
		1.5.1	 Target Audience
		1.5.2	 Focus
		1.5.3	 Objectives and Key Messages
		1.5.4	 Overview and Structure
	Literature
2: Interrelationships and Effects of Product Variety
	2.1	 Causes of Variety
		2.1.1	 External Causes
		2.1.2	 Internal Causes
			2.1.2.1	 Overarching Internal Causes of Product Variety
			2.1.2.2	 Causes of Internal Product Variety in Product Planning and Sales
			2.1.2.3	 Causes of Internal Product Variety in Product Development
			2.1.2.4	 Other Causes of Internal Product Variety
	2.2	 External Product Variety and Its Effects
		2.2.1	 External Product Variety
		2.2.2	 Impact of a High External Product Variety
	2.3	 Internal Product Variety and Its Effects
		2.3.1	 Internal Product Variety
		2.3.2	 Resulting Complicacy and Complexity
			2.3.2.1	 Complicacy
			2.3.2.2	 Complexity
			2.3.2.3	 Variant-Induced Complexity
			2.3.2.4	 Complexity from a Product Development Perspective
		2.3.3	 Overarching Effects Over the Life Phases
			2.3.3.1	 Effects in Product Development
			2.3.3.2	 Effects of Product Variety in Purchasing
			2.3.3.3	 Effects in Production
			2.3.3.4	 Effects in Distribution
			2.3.3.5	 Effects in Service and Maintenance
			2.3.3.6	 Effects in Recycling and Disposal
		2.3.4	 Separate Occurrence of Cause and Effect
		2.3.5	 Delayed and Gradual Occurrence
		2.3.6	 Cost Stickiness (Asymmetric Dynamic)
	2.4	 Resulting Costs of Product Variety
		2.4.1	 Overview of Cost Categories
		2.4.2	 Cost Effects of High Internal Variety
	2.5	 Possible Strategies
		2.5.1	 Reducing the Diversity of Supply
		2.5.2	 Increasing Product Benefits
		2.5.3	 Reduction of Complexity
		2.5.4	 Avoiding Complexity
		2.5.5	 Configuration of New Product Variants
	2.6	 Possibilities of Cost Assessment
	Literature
3: Basics and Terms
	3.1	 The Product Program and Its Structure
	3.2	 Terms of Product Architecture
		3.2.1	 Requirements, Properties and Technical Characteristics
		3.2.2	 Functions and Functional Structures
		3.2.3	 Product Structure
		3.2.4	 Product Architecture
	3.3	 Modes of Construction
		3.3.1	 Integral and Differential Mode of Construction
		3.3.2	 Distinction from Modular Mode of Construction
	Literature
4: The Potential of Modular Product Families
	4.1	 Views on Modularity in Research
		4.1.1	 View of Coupling, Decoupling, and Interfaces
		4.1.2	 Technical View
		4.1.3	 Functional Approaches
		4.1.4	 Process and Organizational View
		4.1.5	 Product-Strategical View
	4.2	 Definition of Modularity
	4.3	 Characteristics of Modularity
		4.3.1	 Decoupling
		4.3.2	 Commonal Use
		4.3.3	 Combinability
		4.3.4	 Interface Standardization
		4.3.5	 Function Binding
	4.4	 Potentials of Modular Product Structures
		4.4.1	 Concept of the Life Phases
		4.4.2	 Product Development
		4.4.3	 Procurement
		4.4.4	 Production and Assembly
		4.4.5	 Sales and Distribution
		4.4.6	 Product Use and Maintenance
		4.4.7	 Maintenance
		4.4.8	 Recycling
		4.4.9	 Summarizing the Concept of Module Drivers
	4.5	 Risks of Modularization
	4.6	 Design for Variety
		4.6.1	 Differentiation of Standard and Variant Components
		4.6.2	 Reduction of Variant Components
		4.6.3	 One-to-One Mapping
		4.6.4	 Decoupling of Components
	Literature
5: Modular Product Structure Strategies
	5.1	 Overview of Modular Product Structure Strategies
		5.1.1	 Generic Procedure of Modularization
		5.1.2	 Definition of Product Structure Strategy
		5.1.3	 “Solution Space” of Product Structure Strategies
	5.2	 Specific Details of the Product Structure Strategy
		5.2.1	 Comprehensive Multiple Use of Modules/Common Module Strategy
		5.2.2	 Size Range Series
		5.2.3	 Modular Kit Strategy
		5.2.4	 Platform Strategy
	5.3	 Development of a Product Structure Strategy
	Literature
6: Methods for the Development of Modular Product Families
	6.1	 Terms of Processes, Methods and Tools
	6.2	 Methods for Program Planning
		6.2.1	 Forward Planning
		6.2.2	 Market Analysis
		6.2.3	 Program Planning
	6.3	 Product Variety Management and Design-for-Variety
		6.3.1	 Design-for-Variety
		6.3.2	 Key Figures for Variety-Optimized Product Design
	6.4	 Modularization
		6.4.1	 Basic Procedure of Modularization
		6.4.2	 Modularization According to Technical-Functional Aspects
		6.4.3	 Modularization According to Organizational and Process Aspects
		6.4.4	 Product Strategic and Integrative Modularization Methods
		6.4.5	 Key Figures for Modularity
	6.5	 Evaluation Procedures
		6.5.1	 Material Number Cost Methods (Average Cost Methods)
		6.5.2	 Time Driven Activity-Based Costing
		6.5.3	 Complexity Cost Prognosis and Complexity Cost Evaluation for Modular Product Family Concepts
	6.6	 The Integrated PKT Approach for the Development of Modular Product Families
		6.6.1	 Motivation and Objectives of the Integrated PKT Approach
		6.6.2	 Basic Strategy of the Approach
		6.6.3	 Overview of the Method Units of the Approach
		6.6.4	 Presentation of Selected Method Units of the Integrated PKT Approach
			6.6.4.1	 System Analysis
			6.6.4.2	 Analysis of the External Variety
			6.6.4.3	 Analysis of the Internal Variety
			6.6.4.4	 Analysis of the Variety-Orientation
			6.6.4.5	 Improving the Design-for-Variety
			6.6.4.6	 Evaluation
			6.6.4.7	 Technical-Functional Modularization
			6.6.4.8	 Strategic Product Modularization
			6.6.4.9	 Consolidation of the Technical-Functional and Product-Strategic Modular Concepts
			6.6.4.10	 Concept Evaluation and Selection
			6.6.4.11	 Derivation of the Modular Product Structure
		6.6.5	 Application Studies on the Approach
	Literature
7: Effects on Product Development Processes and Future Trends
	7.1	 Classification of Modularization in the Processes of Product Development
		7.1.1	 Process Models of Product Development
		7.1.2	 Necessary Activities for the Sustainability of Modular and Variant Products
	7.2	 Product Individualization and Personalization
	7.3	 Demographic Change and the Development of Ageing-Appropriate Products
	7.4	 Modular Lightweight Design Products
	Literature
8: Glossary
	Literature