Design for Variety: Development of Complexity Indices and Design Charts

This paper describes methods to help project leaders and engineers manage the costs of providing variety to the market. As companies look for ways to stay competitive in the global marketplace, the concept of mass customization has appeared as a potential advantage. Armed with new manufacturing and information technologies, companies are trying to determine the amount of variety that they should offer to optimize profits. Our Design for Variety (DFV) research focuses on methodologies which will help companies quantify the costs of providing variety and will qualitatively guide designers in developing products that incur minimum variety costs. The proposed tools incorporate quantitative indices and qualitative design charts. Examples from electronics and automotive industries illustrate the utility of the tools.