Supply chain complexity and product design

Decisions on the functionality of products can increase manufacturing complexity and reduce flexibility and responsiveness 

Decisions on product design impact the Bill of Materials. Low levels of component commonality will add complexity. 

Some design decisions will determine the choice of supplier and therefore could impact replenishment lead time, e.g. where the supply source is offshore. 

if the design decision involves unreliable supply sources this could potentially increase the chance of supply chain disruption. 

For those products requiring after sales support, e.g. service parts, the design of the product will have implications for inventory levels. 

---