The design of a pump system significantly impacts the overall value that it provides in many different areas such as configurations and features as well as material and operating parameters and expenses. Design to Value is a term that describes a multidimensional, fact-based approach that allows companies to improve margins through improvements in product design and a reduction of costs. When companies conduct design to value processes, this provides the opportunity to innovate existing products.
Pump Manufacturers Adopt Design to Value Principles
Some manufacturers of pumps have adopted Design to Value principles to enhance product development. The main goals of these principles include:
- Utilizing best practices to address customer pain points and requirements
- Enhancing product performance derived from direct customer input
- Standardizing parts across product lines and increasing commercial components
- Standardizing designs to reduce complexity and encourage modularity
- Pre-engineer component designs for both assembled and made to order products
- Optimizing pump value with a focus on material purpose and construction
Pump manufacturers that practice Design to Value principles have led to the development of pumps and process equipment that is more cost-effective, energy efficient, customizable and longer-lasting. The process includes interdisciplinary problem-solving methodology that aligns product design with functional requirements driven by market demand.
Manufacturer and Customer Insights Are Critical
When pump manufacturers conduct the Design to Value process, they benchmark customer and manufacturer insights to meet three main objectives:
- Identify the current design best practices
- Understand the functionalities and features that customers value
- Integrate results to deliver users’ desired features while minimizing costs
Pump Design Influences Total Cost
The total cost of a product includes product design time, labor, materials, and overhead. The design time is a percentage of the overall costs, although the design itself has the most significant influence on the total cost of a pump. Since the design has the greatest influence over total costs, pump manufacturers that practice Design to Value principles have the opportunity to simultaneously enhance equipment functionality and reduce costs for customers.
Design to Value Process: Five Steps
The five steps of the design to value process include:
- The kickoff phase – includes a cross-functional team developing product overview, establishing objectives, analyzing market requirements and cost-reduction targets.
- Information gathering – this is the data acquisition phase which is focused on addressing customer feedback and pain points. The team learns what customers expect from the product.
- Workshop phase – this step includes developing, evaluating, testing, and refining a broad range of ideas for product improvement. Focus is placed on simplifying and standardizing design while maximizing value based on functions requested by customers.
- Implementation – this includes consolidating and validating proposals developed during the workshop phase. The team moves forward with a final plan which includes allocating resources, developing the scope of the project, risk management, and cost revision exercises to execute the proposal, all aimed at increasing value.
- Launch – the product launch is the final phase of events orchestrated into the introduction of a new or improved product. This includes reviewing readiness for product launch, marketing campaigns, sales, demonstrations, and stocking inventory.
Flowserve is one such pump manufacturer that has experienced great success by incorporating the Design to Value process.
Illinois Process Equipment, IPE, is a leading pump and process equipment supplier offering pumping solutions to a wide range of industries and applications. We offer pumps and process equipment from the top manufacturers and brands in the industry but stand out from other pump suppliers with our technical expertise and exceptional process equipment services. Contact us to learn how to improve your pumping application with high-quality pumps and process equipment design, installation and testing from a leading Midwest pump supplier.
