Design for availability : creating value for manufacturers and customers

This research introduces a newly developed continuous improvement methodology called Design for Availability that uses principles of Lean Sigma and Design for X to cost-effectively optimize the availability of capital goods, i.e. systems used in the production of other end-products or -services, throughout their entire lifetime. The absence of such a methodology in the literature is remarkable because many users of capital goods increasingly insist on high system availability levels against lower lifetime costs. Against this background this study develops an analytical framework that allows manufacturers to determine the current status of system availability and associated lifetime costs, and to identify opportunities to create additional value for both the manufacturer and its customers. The applicability of this Design for Availability framework is tested through a case study at a global manufacturer of capital goods in the food processing industry. The results show that applying the Design for Availability framework can provide substantial benefits for the manufacturer as well as its customers, as long as a number of critical key success factors are taken into account during implementation, such as organizational commitment to Design for Availability, good leadership and communication, and creating system availability and lifecycle awareness.