Concurrent product and supply chain design: a literature review, an exploratory research framework and a process for modularity design

Abstract

The capability to concurrently design the product and its supply chain is a key competence in manufacturing companies. However, this crucial capability is still underdeveloped because of the lack of practical methodology for concurrent product and supply chain design (CP-SCD) in the industries. Moreover, research has not been able to fill this industrial capability gap partly because there is a lack of convergence of methodologies in the product design and SCD research communities. This paper provides a literature review that unravels undiscovered aspects and gaps of past research in CP-SCD. The findings from the literature review are synthesised into a novel exploratory research framework termed concurrent design attribute – trade-off pyramid that provides propositions for research on CP-SCD methodology. The practicality of this framework is demonstrated by the development of a CP-SCD methodology, which is applied to modularity design. Based on an innovative use of the design structure matrix in modularity design, this methodology also generates useful managerial insights in design trade-off analysis and the classification of product-supply chain systems.