We have heard about the Rule of 10: it takes 10 times more effort, and cost, to remedy a fault identified at the current step, than the previous step. If one extrapolates this to the faults identified towards the end of a manufacturing or service cycle, the cost to correct is usually very high with product or service delays, recalls and poor customer experience. This can be minimized with embedding good design practices from product or service concept phase and extending into the product life-cycle including after-sales service and retirement.
Good design makes usability easy; manufacturing, service development and delivery, and configuration simpler, and total cost of ownership competitive. A good summary of design importance can be found here. And following the axiom “Form follows Function” in every aspect of the life-cycle, will ensure that the product or service functions as it should with the required aesthetics. Aesthetics and a pleasing design is very important, but not a trade-off with functionality. After all, no matter how good a product looks, if it doesn’t function as it should, it will have very few takers. There are many cases of failed product launches highlighting this point. The following two links provide a good list of such failures: https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-product-flops-in-history-2016-12; and https://www.boredpanda.com/failed-products-innovations-technology/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
So, what are some guiding principles for embedding good design? Fundamentally, start with a good product life-cycle phase capture and an initial high-level enumeration of requirements for each phase. These phases should clearly show the high-level requirements and the inter-dependencies between them. For example, during product or service repair what technical knowledge is needed by the staff? What is the manufacturing tolerance capability of the machines and can it meet the product requirements?
Then look into process constraints for the processes engaged in the delivery and service. Consider how to relax unnecessary constraints to enable easier processing, and consequently fewer issues, and higher quality. These principles are well established in Design for Manufacturing, Design for Services, and Six Sigma principles.
Good design implemented in this way, avoids unnecessary product, process, or service constraints, minimizes waste, enables proper role assignment, improves workplace safety, and eventually to a better work environment due to less stress and conflicts. All of these contribute directly to better business.