Value Analysis/Value Engineering
for cost and part reduction

The need

The project engineers of a leading consumer appliance company were tasked with the objective to reduce parts and assembly costs of its next generation products by 25%. They turned to Rubin Anders to find an expert in Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE). This project had the potential to change the company’s internal convention around product drop testing, packaging designs and other areas, and would require an industry leader to successfully accomplish such a transformation.

Our approach

From discussions with the client and understanding the ambitious cost reduction goal, it was clear that the engagement would require someone uniquely skilled in VAVE who enjoyed the challenge and reward associated with this particular type of engineering. A reduction of this level would require an expert who could do a deep dive on the products and perform a detailed assessment of all aspects of the design from number of parts, volume of material, materials choice, construction, assembly costs, and electronics costs. We quickly went to work to find someone with at least 5 years or more experience in VAVE, a track record of significant cost reductions, and proven ability to save 20%+ in cost and parts. Finally, the expert would need to be onsite frequently and also have the flexibility to travel to China.

The expert

We found an expert located within the client’s area with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology and a M.S. in Product Development, In-Process from a prominent university. He was a Member of the Society of American Value Engineers; and had 12 years of professional experience in Design for Manufacture and Assembly and VAVE with a focus on product simplification. Impressively, on a recent project, he redesigned a product, increasing functionality and reducing costs by 24%. Beyond that, he had extensive hands-on experience evaluating product lines and redesigning them with an eye towards part consolidation, including evaluating how parts are made and with what materials. Matching the client’s needs, he was experienced in reducing supply chain costs and had experience relocating production as well.