Does component sharing help or hurt reliability?
Kamalini Ramdas on the impact of component sharing on quality in the auto industry
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In a new podcast Kamalini Ramdas, Professor of Management Science and Operations at London Business School, discusses her research into the impact of component sharing on reliability and quality.
Component standardisation is common in the automotive industry, with manufacturers aiming to reduce costs by developing components that can be used in multiple car models.
In her paper ‘Does component sharing help or hurt reliability? An empirical study in the auto industry' Kamalini investigated two theories of component standardisation. The first, learning curve theory, suggests that if you do something many times you will get better at it and produce better products, while design theory says that a close fit between the component and its application improves reliability.
Kamalini's research into car brakes found that reliability increased when components were specifically made for that car, but that is also increased when components that were made at high volumes, particularly over a long period of time for the same model of car.
Kamalini explains: "The research shows that you can't ignore either theory when standardising components. To take a simple example, a pair of standard paper scissors will cut through leather at first, but after a while the scissors will wear out, much faster than a pair designed specifically for that purpose."
For more on component standardisation and quality listen to Kamalini's podcast.
Kamalini also discusses component standardisation in medical devices in the latest edition of London Views. Read the article.