MAINTAINABILITY
MAINTAINABILITY: IT IS DEFINED AS THE EASE OF
MAINTENANCE. PRODUCT SHOULD BE EASY TO MAINTAIN AND EASY TO REPAIR. IT IS ALSO
RELATED WITH THE EASE OF OVER HAULING, PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, EASY
AVAILABILITY OF SPARE PARTS, AND EASY AVAILABILITY OF REPAIR MAN ETC.
QUALITY: QUALITY IS A RELATIVE TERM AND DEFINED AS THE DEGREE OF
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIRED OBJECTIVE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COST OF QUALITY
AND VALUE OF QUALITY FROM FIGURE IT CAN BE SEEN THAT RETURN FROM QUALITY
IS DIMINISHING IN NATURE. MAXIMUM RETURN IS OBTAINED AT POINT Q. RETURN FROM
QUALITY BECOMES ZERO AT POINT P. IT CAN BE SEEN THAT UNNECESSARILY HIGH QUALITY
DOES NOT HELP ORGANIZATIONS IN LONG RUN. THEY HAVE TO SET QUALITY STANDARDS
NEAR TO POINT Q TO MAXIMIZE THEIR RETURN.
LEGAL ASPECTS: WHEN A PRODUCT IDEA IS SELECTED, IT
SHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED IF GOVERNMENT HAS IMPOSED ANY RESTRICTIONS ON ITS
PRODUCTION (SAY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RELATED WITH PRODUCTION OF CHEMICALS,
DEFENSE RELATED ISSUES WITH NATIONAL SECURITY ETC.). THE SELECTED PRODUCT IDEA
SHOULD NOT VIOLATE ANY OF THE GOVERNMENT RULES AND REGULATIONS.
FINANCIAL ASPECTS: BEFORE EMBARKING ON THE MANUFACTURING OF A PRODUCT, MANAGEMENT
HAS TO MOBILIZE REQUIRED FINANCES. THEY HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCES FROM WHICH
REQUIRED FINANCES WILL BE GENERATED SUCH AS, COMPANY ACCOUNTS, GOVERNMENT
LOANS, PUBLIC OFFERS (SHARES AND DEBENTURES ETC.).
ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS: EVERY PRODUCT NEEDS SKILLED PERSONS WORKING ON IT SUCH AS SKILLED
WORKERS, AND SKILLED MANAGERS. MANAGEMENT HAS TO WORK OUT THE MANPOWER
REQUIREMENTS AND ASSOCIATED COSTS CAREFULLY.
DISTRIBUTION ASPECTS: ONCE THE PRODUCT IS FINISHED, IT SHOULD REACH THE CUSTOMERS AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. MANAGEMENT HAS TO ESTABLISH DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS FOR THE
SAME. THEY HAVE TO APPOINT CAPABLE DISTRIBUTORS, RETAILERS, AND SALES PERSONNEL
FOR THIS FUNCTION. THUS AVAILABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION
CHANNELS IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN PRODUCT ANALYSIS.
TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS: WHEN ANALYZING PRODUCT IDEA, MANAGEMENT SHOULD CHECK THE
AVAILABILITY AND CAPABILITY OF NECESSARY TECHNICAL KNOW HOW AND CAPITAL GOODS
(MACHINES ETC.) REQUIRED FOR THE CONVERSION OF THAT IDEA INTO A PHYSICAL PRODUCT.
SOMETIMES IF NECESSARY RESOURCES ARE NOT AVAILABLE, THEY CAN BE ACQUIRED BUT
WITHIN COMPANY'S FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
AESTHETIC ASPECTS: HOW DOES THE PRODUCT APPEAR AND IN WHAT WAY DOES THE APPEARANCE
OF A PRODUCT AFFECT ITS DESIGN? THESE ARE THE TWO QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED BY
THE DESIGNER DURING PRODUCT DESIGN. IT COULD BE A DOMINANT FEATURE IN MANY
PRODUCTS (SUCH AS FASHIONABLE PRODUCTS, TOYS, AND FURNITURE ETC.). HOWEVER, IT
IS AN IMPORTANT FEATURE IN MOST OF THE PRODUCTS AND SHOULD BE GIVEN DUE CONSIDERATION.
PRODUCT AESTHETIC CAN BE IMPROVED BY: USE OF SPECIAL MATERIALS (I.E. PLASTICS,
WOOD, GLASS ETC.), USE OF COLOR (NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL) WITH DIFFERENT
COMPOSITION AND CONTRAST, USE OF TEXTURE SUPPLEMENT COLORS TO GIVE BETTER
APPEARANCE, USE OF FUNCTIONAL SHAPE OF THE PRODUCT (I.E. A LAMP SHOULD LOOK
LIKE A LAMP), USE OF LINES TO BREAK FORM AND TO GIVE A SENSE OF CONTINUITY,
SCALING AND STYLING OF THE PRODUCT, PACKAGING OF THE PRODUCT ETC. IT MAY BE
NOTED THAT ALL THESE TOOLS HELP IN IMPROVING THE APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCT
MAKING IT MORE ATTRACTIVE.
REFERENCES:-www. nptel.iitm.ac.in
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