All successful mass-produced products are built, shipped, and used in the same manner each time they are produced, shipped, and used. The way in which a product behaves consistently throughout its life cycle is not the result of good luck; it is a predictable outcome based on a standardization of the way a product is designed and manufactured.
Standardization of the manufacturing and engineering processes is essential to establishing scalable manufacturing and engineering operations. How the products are designed, manufactured, and delivered determines how a company will grow without additional complexity.
An Overview of Product Standardization
When an organization designs products according to a common set of requirements, it is utilizing the standardization of products. The aim is to serve the broadest audience with a consistent design that can be replicated repeatedly rather than attempting to create an individual item that is tailored to each customer’s needs.
To put it another way, product standardization means that one product design will meet the needs of many different types of customers. This allows the organization to get away from continually redesigning products and focus on producing them more predictably and efficiently.
Which elements of a product can be standardized?
The concept of product standardization expands beyond the actual physical product and includes many other parts and areas of an organization. At the Design Level, it establishes fixed dimensions, materials, tolerances, and Performance parameters. In addition, it preserves the created Product Architecture, so that the Product can be created consistently over time.
At the Component Level, the standardization process between Products will include the use of commonly used Parts (e.g., fasteners, motors, Electronics, interfaces, etc.) between Products, thus eliminating complexities associated with sourcing Parts and simplifying Maintenance.
The process level within a manufacturing facility has standardized processes that direct all manufacturing activities. Each unit goes through the same steps in the manufacturing process.
Additionally, by conforming to specific standards, you are assured that all products manufactured will comply with Safety, Quality, and Environmental Standards across all global marketplaces.
How Product Standardization Works In The Real World
Every day, product types are standardized
Consumer Electronics. As an example within the consumer electronics sector, the manufacturer standardizes charging port types and Battery Formats. For consumers, all models of the same category will have the same screen sizes, which also reduces production lead-time and allows for easy-to-repair units.
In the Industrial Equipment Manufacturer space, the manufacturers will often standardize on frame sizes, how they rate Motors or VFDs through the rated Motor, and how to identify whether the selected Motor or VFD meets the design specification.
Both sectors can benefit from standardizing products to allow for mass production without compromising the integrity of the final product.
The Real World Example of Product Standardization
Standardization exists in our daily products.
Most consumer electronics contain standardized charging ports, screen sizes (within models), and battery formats, leading to quicker production, compatible accessories, and easier repairability.
Many industrial equipment manufacturers use standardized frame sizes, motor ratings, and control panels, resulting in easier engineering, faster assembly, and less variation in inventory.
In both examples, standardization creates the ability to achieve scale while maintaining reliability.
Standardization and manufacturing strategies for products
A manufacturer’s product(s) are manufactured using standardized processes (known as ‘standardization’) or through mass production methods (known as MTS).
To begin with, most manufacturers conduct a market analysis to determine what consumers want in terms of a product, and the vast majority of which a manufacturer will design using that knowledge to satisfy the broadest possible range of consumers. Once the design is completed, the manufacturer will create numerous copies of that same model (or part of that model) and store them until they are sold.
The production of all of these copies, along with the use of MTS to create inventory, means that the manufacturer’s business model has an emphasis upon speed, efficiency, and predictability.
Why Do Companies Choose Standardization?
Standardizing products allows an organization to grow while maintaining control over quality. Standardized products are easily scaled, since no additional engineering effort is required. Consistency in quality and performance is assured with every unit produced by a company. Standardized products enable organizations to achieve greater efficiency, since manufacturing variability has been eliminated and maintenance becomes less complicated because all parts are interchangeable. Perhaps most critically, standardized products provide a shorter lead time for customers to receive their orders.
As the number of standardized products increases, the operational foundation will become ever stronger.
The Challenge of Balancing Standardization with Customization
Standardization helps to define the limits of customization but does not preclude customization. Customized products have unique requirements and offer additional value to a customer, whereas standardized products are manufactured based on repetitive processes with fixed designs. Companies often utilize platform-based or modular approaches to standardization that allow for limited customizable variations while still maintaining their core processes without modifying them. This balance leads to more flexible systems while maintaining efficiency.
In conclusion
Product standardization emphasizes developing a product one time and then mass-producing it consistently.
Product standardization provides a framework to expand your business, maintain consistent and high-quality output, and deliver products reliably to an extensive target market. If applied strategically, product standardization can serve as both a tactical decision and also give a company a sustainable competitive advantage to support long-term growth and successful operations.
Palanivel Muthusamy is a seasoned expert in the Engineering, CAD, CAE, PLM, and PDM domains, boasting over 20 years of experience in project and product engineering within industrial companies. He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Engineering, complemented by numerous certifications. Palanivel is highly proficient in engineering processes, including engineering change orders, notices, and quality processes, bringing a wealth of knowledge and hands-on expertise to the field.
