Metrics of product modularity: lessons learned from case companies

Abstract

Purpose Modular product development is a turning table concept in terms of benefits and impact in manufacturing companies. It offers added benefits to the companies with respect to reduce lead-time, improve assemble ability and agility in supply chain management, promote product family and enhance customer satisfaction. This paper aims to identify the patterns of modular product development strategy by using measurement techniques. Design/methodology/approach Both quantitative and qualitative approaches are considered. In the qualitative section, relevant data on product design are collected from six case companies. On the other hand, in the quantitative section, collected data are analyzed to measure the product modularity level with the case companies. Findings This research identifies potential metrics which can be used successfully to measure product modularity level or index in manufacturing industries. Selection of such metrics also depends on individual company’s objectives to measure modularity index. Originality/value This research contributes to the development of modular product design that supports product family design with lean and agile (leagile) supply chain process. It also provided a parsimonious framework to mapping modules within a product, which is ultimately used to measure modularity index.

Model-based systems engineering in modular design

“…This approach is mainly used in the industrial environment in the concept phase of vehicle design. Publications with a strong industrial reference from the recent past include Shamsuzzoha et al, which have summarized lessons learned on modular development from six industrial partners (Shamsuzzoha et al 2018), as well as Mortensen et al, which have identified the following success factors for implementing the module strategy in companies: the company must aim big and be willing to change its foundation accordingly, draw on the right positional strength and have broad organizational inputs, and properly coordinate work and then actively seek to preserve the focus and results over a long period of time (Mortensen et al 2018).…”

Identification and analysis of the driving factors for product modularity by Interpretive Structural Modelling

“…Modular product development strategy also depends on the customization level. More customization triggers more modularity and vice versa (Silveira et al, 2001;Zhang et al, 2014;Shamsuzzoha et al, 2018).…”

“…The component interface has a direct impact on product modularity. Properly designed component interface contributes to promoting product modularity (Gershenson and Prasad, 1997;Shamsuzzoha et al, 2018).…”

“…Each of the factors as listed in Table 2 are briefly described below: Component dependency (F1): Component dependency can be defined as the interdependencies between one component to another one (ElMaraghy and AlGeddawy, 2012). Such dependency contributes to the decision towards a modular product or not (Shamsuzzoha et al, 2018). A high degree of interdependence can be created between components and modules by implementing the strategy of standardizing interface (Barbosa et al, 2017).…”

“…Through the combination of mixing and matching of modules, a potentially large number of different products can be generated in a modular product architecture. Such a combination of modules offers distinctive product variants with different functionalities, features and/or performance levels of the developed products to satisfy major customers' requirements successfully (Shamsuzzoha et al, 2018;Kim et al, 2020). Therefore, a modular product development strategy is an important source of strategic flexibility.…”