Product design and the supply chain : competing through design

"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 per cent of a product's eventual supply chain costs are already present at the early stages of product design and development. This book will allow companies to make informed design decisions that will 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"--