Producibility System Guidelines for Successful Companies

In manufacturing, the ultimate success of a new product depends, in part, on "producibility" or the relative ease by which it can be produced. In the past, manufacturers have focused on producibility during the production phase, but in  today's environment of rapid technological change, that's not soon enough.  This lengthy report  from the U.S. Navy's Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) program calls for integration of producibility activities into the conceptual and design phases of new product development. The BMP, which was formed to help increase "the quality, reliability, and maintainability of goods produced by American firms," lays out a five-step program for building and maintaining a successful producibility system.  "Facing increased pressure to reduce outlays," the report states, "many companies, organizations, and enterprises recognize that addressing producibility early, as part of the design process, is the most effective way to reduce costs and improve the quality of manufactured products." (The report is in PDF format and is 168 pages long: be prepared to wait while it downloads.)