Hewlett-Packard gains control of inventory and service through design for localization

At Hewlett-Packard (HP) Company, design for manufacturability has recently been adopted as a principle for product design and development. Frequently overlooked is the relationship between design and the eventual customization, distribution, and delivery of the product to multiple markets. Different markets may have different requirements for the product due to differences in taste, language, geographical environment, or government regulations. The authors use design for localization or design for customization for design processes that take into account the operational and delivery service considerations for the multiple market segments. They developed an inventory model that the HP’s Deskjet-Plus Printer Division used to evaluate alternative product and process designs for localization. Significant benefits can be obtained by properly exploring the opportunities in this design for localization concept.