Does is really matter who makes the products you buy? Perhaps it is better to design than make… James Dyson or the Conran’s might agree with this sentiment. Britain arguably has a far stronger reputation, at the moment, for high quality design than for our manufacturing. So should we not be playing to our strengths and waving a flag for British design over manufacturing?
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Design and Manufacturing are symbiotic!! You can’t expect to have a good design capability if the designers have no idea how the manufacturing is done, or have the opportunity to visit the production area to resolve issues and get feedback/ lessons-learned on their ideas.
Manufacturing advances are made constantly in a production environment, and if this is not available locally, then our designers will be left behind technically. We can’t afford to arrogantly think that the design is the “best” or “clever” bit, because both activities have their technologies.
Designers need to utilise the principles of DFM or DFA (Design for Manufacture/assembly), otherwise manufacturing costs will rise due to lack of the necessary background knowledge. For example VW Group graduates of ALL disciplines spend 2 weeks on the production line, so they gain an appreciation for manufacturing needs.
“Developing” countries are also strongly investing in their design capabilities, both by hiring foreign talent and by educating their students in Europe/America. Soon they will be competitive, and be in a better position to take advantage of their proximity to the manufacturing bases.
Definately second all that Liz says here.
It is definately equally important to design and manufacture. In a country of 63 million to specialize too much and rely on others to make things for you is just not sustainable. Not everyone can be a designer and having visited quite a few British factories and workshops the pride and expertise in making things in Britain is truly inspiring. Our design prowess is second to non and so I believe is our manufacturing.
As a Quality Engineer, I’ve visited some truly awful British manufacturing premises, Many companies in Asia leave them in the dust. We have to maintain innovation in manufacturing.
Hopefully you were able to help them improve. It brings up another point about keeping the manufcaturing locally though. It is far easier to visit a factory down the road and deal directly with them to improve quality and innovate. Often outsourced manufacturing in Asia or elswhere involves 3rd parties who move their manufacturing around, so even if you visit the factory at the outset it may not be the one that actually ends up doing the work. Witness the problems Hornby and London Taxi’s had for example.
It is not just design and manufacturing that are important but innovation is as well. We led the world once and could do again if we had the opportunities and government support.
While design is good, design and production brings jobs to the general public. I thought I was buying British produced goods when I went looking for a wireless speaker. Pure and Monitor Audio boast “Designed and Engineered in Britain”. But the big BUT they are made in China! What exactly does Engineered in Britain mean? One bug con to my mind!