Due to severe competition and fast changes today, companies must deliver high-quality items to the market more quickly and efficiently. If these teams work separately, there may be delays, low performance, and mistakes, both in delivering new products and in making profits.
Bridging the Gap Between Design and Supply
If you are searching for bills of materials management software, it is important to first understand the gap between design and supply. Solutions created by the product design team are aimed at customers, while the supply chain team focuses on making them possible to produce and transport in a smart and practical way. Still, because sales and marketing teams focus on different areas and use various tools, misunderstandings and clashing goals can occur.
The use of DTS allows both product and supply teams to agree on major decisions at the beginning of development.
One of the main reasons to address this gap is:
- Starting with consensus on what you need, when you need it, and how much it will cost
- Minimizes the need to make changes during the last phases of development
- Improving the possibility of making the product and delivering it
- More communication and acceptance between the different divisions
The Role of Design-to-Source Solutions in Unified Workflows
DTS platforms are valuable in unifying the way design, sourcing, and procurement work together. Historically, each task in these processes was followed closely, and the change in hands slowed down the steps and increased chances for error.
Using DTS solutions, groups are able to collaborate online and gain supply chain insights, which speeds up decision-making and lowers risks.
There are many reasons why using unified workflows is beneficial, including:
- Reductions in problems caused by misunderstandings
- Better understanding of all steps in the product lifecycle
- Better preparation for problems in the supply chain
- Higher levels of attention to revisions, changes, and everything that depends on them
Besides, completing tasks in an organized way ensures that everyone is accountable and we can track progress. Every modification, discussion, and seal of approval is saved, so that people working in different locations can communicate at any time.
Enhancing Communication Through Real-Time Insights
With DTS platforms, you can stay updated in real-time about your product development and sourcing activities with design collaboration tools. Rather than dealing with graphs and charts from the past, teams have access to current performance information for their suppliers, costs, and the market in one place.
- Real-time knowledge helps workers communicate more effectively.
- Immediate notifications when something disrupts the supply chain or causes a shortage of supplies
- Decision-making on approving design or sourcing alternatives can be done more efficiently.
- Better connections between different teams
- Using current data to make important choices with supply chain insights
This prevents major surprises from occurring and helps reduce costs later during the development process.
Driving Cost Efficiency Through Collaborative Design
64% of businesses believe that AI and technology can improve their workflow. When product and supply teams work independently, there is often a problem with cost overruns. Designers might find the best material or production process without considering the costs.
DTS solutions, such as Luminovo, make it possible to analyze the costs as a team from the start of the design phase.
- With the help of DTS, organizations can collaborate more easily.
- Assess the cost difference between design options as the design is being done
- Consider the use of different materials or production processes.
- Prevent unnecessary revisions at the final stage caused by financial difficulties.
When the project team collaborates, they are able to weigh up risks and costs early in the process.
Overcoming silos with Cross-Functional Integration
Lack of collaboration often happens because there are gaps between different departments. Some teams use design software for their work, and others depend on platforms or systems for procurement or ERP purposes. Since these tools do not work well together, people have issues communicating and sometimes end up doing the same thing twice.
Integration between different teams is made possible through DTS platforms and a collaborative design process that means:
- Every department relies on the same ‘truth.’
- It is important to have a shared and live data source.
- Collaboration between design, sourcing, and procurement.
- Integrated procedures and organizing the project in one place
Integrating different parts of the company encourages teamwork and increases an organization’s capacity to handle changes in the market.
Key Takeaway
Design-to-Source approaches are reinventing the steps companies take in developing products and handling supplies. With the help of DTS platforms, all company departments can join forces and remove barriers to creativity and productivity.
All in all, DTS tools make it possible for companies to:
- Allow both the design and supply teams to be a part of the project from the first day.
- Make it possible to create your products in less time.
- Make your presence stronger to prevent interruptions in activity.
- Collaborate on the design to reduce the cost of your project.
- Improve the performance of teams that work across functions.
With Design-to-Source solutions, teams working on product development and sourcing truly collaborate, reach innovative solutions in real time, and turn challenges into a winning factor.