Product design touches every aspect of modern life, determining the form and function of the products and technologies that we use every day. Product design is not just concerned with the appearance and functionality of products; it has an important role in determining the cost, pricing, risk and profitability profile of those products. Product Design and the Supply Chain shows how decisions taken at the design stage of a product's life cycle go on to affect that product's subsequent value to a company. Eighty percent of a product's eventual supply chain costs are already present at the early stages of product design and development. This book allows companies to make informed design decisions that have significant positive through-life implications for risk, complexity and responsiveness, thus allowing them to create a 'moat' that is difficult for competitors to sidestep or surmount.
Product Design and the Supply Chain contains fascinating content applicable to industry. It is full of useful and insightful real-life cases and examples. This book sets out to show how design impacts: sales revenues, pricing, time to market, manufacturing and supply chain costs, supply chain risks, brand loyalty, and competitiveness.
About the AuthorOmera Khan is Professor of Supply Chain Management at Royal Holloway University of London. She's also a Visiting Professor at the University of Agder in Norway and adviser in logistics and supply chain management to many other universities around the world. She is internationally recognized in the fields of supply chain risk management, supply chain resilience and cyber risk, supply chain responsiveness, sustainability and the impact of product design. Omera Khan's work in this area has been widely published in practitioner articles and academic publications.
Industry Reviews
"Omera Khan has beautifully bridged the yawning gap -between -"product design" and "supply chain design" - a gap that has existed since the logistics/supply chain domain became an accepted management discipline over 50 years ago. Her emphasis on conscious "design" of the supply chain rather than the inside-out style of thinking that has prevailed to date is very refreshing. And she backs up her case with an impressive array of case studies. This book is long overdue, and a must read for -leaders of all corporate functions.'" * Dr. John Gattorna, Adjunct Professor, University of Technology, Sydney, and Executive Chairman, Gattorna Alignment *
"In an accelerating world, this book provides an essential insight into the deep relationship between product design and the supply chain, and how many of the world's most successful businesses have used this intersection as a point of generating significant competitive advantage." * Vikas Shah, MBE, Managing Director and CEO, Swiscot Group *
"A very thoughtful and insightful analysis identifying the complex requirements for designers to be aware of for their route to market and then identifying how to maximize their chances of success in their highly competitive marketplaces. The analysis is significantly enhanced through the use of highly relevant case studies" * Michael Proffitt, former CEO of Dubai Logistics City *
"New products are the lifeblood of the business. However, the majority of new products never make it to market and those that do have a failure rate as high as 45 per cent. To be successful, new product development and commercialization must be cross-functional and cross-firm, and representatives from product design must be key members of the team. In this book, Omera Khan documents how product design can be used to improve the chances of launching successful new products while -considering supply chain risks, the need for agility and the organization's sustainability goals. Numerous company examples are provided to illustrate how the integration of design and supply chain management were key to new product success" * Doug Lambert, Mason Chair in Transportation and Logistics, and Director, The Global Supply Chain Forum, Fisher College of Business *
"An essential read for those wishing to understand the importance of design, its relationship with the supply chain and its impact on a business" * James Dracup, Managing Director, Macnaughton Holdings *
