Product design for global production

Abstract

A global set-up of production sites and suppliers in an increasingly globalised world provides huge opportunities for companies, such as the development of new markets or the reduction of production costs. In spite of these advantages and the desire of companies to make full use of them, global production has not been mastered so far and its potential has not yet been fully tapped. Global production often results in quality issues or unexpectedly high costs. The technical features of the product to be manufactured have a major impact on whether global production will be successful or not. This chapter aims at presenting an approach to tapping the potential of low-cost countries by tailoring product design to local needs and, at the same time, to reducing entrepreneurial risks.