The increasing demand for customized products in most industries is challenging conventional operating concepts since the development times and product life cycles are reduced. Implementing a systematic modularization approach with a high level of automation and standardization, provides flexibility and versatility for different processes, in addition to enabling companies to reduce the complexity of their processes and satisfy changing customer expectations. This helps companies remain efficient while optimally satisfying customer needs.
Our Approach
Situation
In the manufacturing industries, market requirements have changed significantly in recent years: The increasing individualization and complexity of machines and plants are increasing the pressure on their manufacturers. Individual customer solutions also frequently require extensive technical modifications to the machines and plants. This can lead to bottlenecks and tie up engineering resources. Customers do not want to pay for the additional expenditure that a non-modularized and standardized platform generates. For manufacturers, this usually means increased manufacturing costs, potential margin losses, and long delivery times.
Target
The goal is to introduce modular platform concepts for machines, plants and components. This will reduce delivery times for machines and plants, reduce component diversity and manufacturing costs, and make the company more profitable and efficient in order processing.
Solution
The basis of a suitable modularization and standardization concept is our comprehensive analysis of market requirements and individualization requests, considering the business strategy and the competitive environment. Our consultants analyze the status of the products in terms of manufacturing costs, production processes, and degree of modularization/standardization.
Taking into account market requirements, business strategy, the results of an as-is analysis, and based on our in-depth industry expertise, we jointly define the required degree of modularization and standardization and evaluate the implementation of configurator solutions. We then create a concrete and implementation-oriented modularization and standardization strategy that is customized to our client’s needs.
Together with our clients, our experts then develop initial implementation concepts, evaluate them with regard to feasibility, cost-saving potential and value stream efficiency, after which they implement them in modularized building block systems. Already during the development of the modularized product, we jointly create product configurators, process automations and service offerings with the goal of increasing the company’s efficiency and profitability.
Result
Through the modularization and standardization, ensign advisory’s scope of services supports clients in meeting market and production requirements, reducing their processes’ complexity and enabling them to meet individual customer needs in a simplified and flexible manner. By developing and implementing modularization and standardization solutions, our clients achieve a cost reduction of 5% to 15% along the entire value chain, increased product quality and greater resource efficiency.
Our Core Compentencies
Market-oriented Requirements Management
With in-depth knowledge and experience in the relevant industry, we help our clients understand consumer needs and market expectations and translate them into actionable solutions.
Modularization Level Analysis with Industry Expertise
We help our clients define the right level of modularization and standardization based on their process landscape, machine complexity and specific requirements, allowing them to remain flexible and versatile.
Implementation of Modularization Solutions
After in-depth analyses, our consultants support clients in planning and developing the best modularization and standardization solutions for your needs. We then support our clients throughout the implementation stage and guide them through the process.
Implementation of Product Configurators
Especially when companies need to react rapidly to new market demands, the need for product configurators arises. We help our clients develop solutions that ensure product functionality and technical feasibility remain intact as they add flexibility to their processes.
Optimization of Assembly and Manufacturing (Industrial Engineering)
In the area of industrial engineering, our consultants support our clients in the ideal design of their production process based on the modularization and standardization strategy. Aspects such as, but not restricted to, cost-optimized supply chain, lean manufacturing, Total Quality Management (TQM), Design for Manufacturing, and Assembly (DFMA) topics are taken into account.
Join our team of experts
How can we help you?