Introduction

Product design is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business to its customers. It is the efficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new [2] products. In a systematic approach, product designers conceptualize and evaluate ideas, turning them into tangible products. The product designer's role is to combine art, science, and technology to create new products that other people can use. Their evolving role has been facilitated by digital tools that now allow designers to communicate, visualize, and analyze ideas in a way that would have taken greater manpower in the past. Product design is sometimes confused with industrial design, and has recently become a broad term inclusive of service, software, and physical product design. Industrial design is concerned with bringing [3] artistic form and usability, usually associated with craft design, together to mass produce goods. [edit]Product
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design process

There are various product design processes and they are all focused on different aspects. The process shown below is "The Seven Universal Stages of Creative Problem-Solving," outlined by Don Koberg and Jim Bagnell. It helps designers formulate their product from ideas. This process is usually completed by a group of people, designers or field experts in the product they are creating, or specialists for a specific component of the product, such as engineers. The process focuses on figuring out what is required, brainstorming possible ideas, creating mock prototypes, and then generating the product. However, that is not the end of the process. At this point, product designers would still need to execute the idea, making it into an actual product and then evaluate its success by seeing if any improvements are necessary. The design process follows a guideline involving three main sections: Analysis Concept Synthesis
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The latter two sections are often revisited, depending on how often the design needs touch-ups, to improve, or to better fit the criteria. This is a continuous loop, where feedback is the main [4] component. To break it down even more, the seven stages specify how the process works. Analysis consists of two stages, concept is only one stage, and synthesis encompasses the other four. [edit]Analysis Accept Situation: Here, the designers decide on committing to the project and finding a solution to [4] the problem. They pool their resources into figuring out how to solve the task most efficiently. Analyze:" In this stage, everyone in the team begins research. They gather general and specific materials which will help to figure out how their problem might be solved. This can range from [4] statistics, questionnaires, and articles, among many other sources.

[edit]Concept

Define: This is where the key issue of the matter is defined. The conditions of the problem become objectives, and restraints on the situation become the parameters within which the new design must [4] be constructed.

[edit]Synthesis Ideate: The designers here brainstorm different ideas, solutions for their design problem. The ideal [4] brainstorming session does not involve any bias or judgment, but instead builds on original ideas. Select: By now, the designers have narrowed down their ideas to a select few, which can be [4] guaranteed successes and from there they can outline their plan to make the product. Implement: This is where the prototypes are built, the plan outlined in the previous step is realized [4] and the product starts to become an actual object. Evaluate: In the last stage, the product is tested, and from there, improvements are made. Although this is the last stage, it does not mean that the process is over. The finished prototype may not work [4] as well as hoped so new ideas need to be brainstormed.

Process planning is a key element in project management that focuses on selecting resources for use in the execution and completion of a project. In a manufacturing setting, this aspect of planning also includes establishing the general sequence of steps that begin with the acquisition of materials and end with the creation of a finished product. Process planning is often closely associated with project planning, although the specific functions of each tool are used differently in the overall strategic planning. While both process planning and project planning are necessary to give form and focus to any project, each procedure fulfills specific needs. Process planning helps to create the general process necessary to reach an ultimate goal, such as the creation of a product or the development of a marketing campaign. Project planning looks at each of the steps or processes identified in process planning and defines the specific actions that must take place in order for each of the processes to be completed successfully. In a sense, a process plan provides the framework for a procedure while a project plan provides the specifics of how to complete each step or process necessary to achieve the desired outcome. Process planning is not a new concept. The strategy has been utilized in business circles for centuries. Private and non-profit organizations often use this same type of planning when structuring a new project or directive. While the amount of detail involved will depend greatly on the scope of the project and the culture of the business or entity conducting the project, the planning works in just about any setting where a group of people wish to determine how to reach a specific goal. In a manufacturing setting, process planning may also address concerns that are related to the steps identified as necessary to create a product. For example, the plan may also address issues such as designing the packaging or labeling for the final product, as well as the creation of user instructions that accompany each unit that is sold. Today, the use of process planning software is common in both small businesses and large corporations. Sometimes a component in a comprehensive project management software package, it is also possible to purchase computer aided process planning software to compliment other

systems. Along with off-the-shelf products, it is not unusual for companies to develop in house software to aid in the process planning task. The proprietary software is especially helpful when the operation of the company involves the use of data or procedures that are dont fit well with generic software programs.

Material is anything made of matter, constituted of one or more substances. Wood, cement, hydrogen, air and water are all examples of materials. Sometimes the term "material" is used more narrowly to refer to substances or components with certain physical properties that are used as inputs to production or manufacturing. In this sense, materials are the parts required to make something else, from buildings and art to stars and computers.

Raw materials and processing

Purchasing refers to a business or organization attempting for acquiring goods or services to accomplish the goals of the enterprise. Though there are several organizations that attempt to set standards in the purchasing process, processes can vary greatly between organizations. Typically the word purchasing is not used interchangeably with the word procurement, since procurement typically includes Expediting, Supplier Quality, and Traffic and Logistics (T&L) in addition to Purchasing.

Details
Purchasing managers/directors, and procurement managers/directors guide the organizations acquisition procedures and standards. Most organizations use a three-way check as the foundation of their purchasing programs. This involves three departments in the organization completing separate parts of the acquisition process. The three departments do not all report to the same senior manager to prevent unethical practices and lend credibility to the process. These departments can be purchasing, receiving; and accounts payable or engineering, purchasing and accounts payable; or a plant manager, purchasing and accounts payable. Combinations can vary significantly, but a purchasing department and accounts payable are usually two of the three departments involved. When the receiving department is not involved, it's typically called a two-way check or two-way purchase order. In this situation, the purchasing department issues the purchase order receipt not required. When an invoice arrives against the order, the accounts payable department will then go directly to the

requestor of the purchase order to verify that the goods or services were received. This is typically what is done for goods and services that will bypass the receiving department. A few examples are software delivered electronically, NRE work (non reoccurring engineering services), consulting hours, etc. Historically, the purchasing department issued purchase orders for supplies, services, equipment, and raw materials. Then, in an effort to decrease the administrative costs associated with the repetitive ordering of basic consumable items, "blanket" or "master" agreements were put into place. These types of agreements typically have a longer duration and increased scope to maximize the quantities of scale concept. When additional supplies were required, a simple release would be issued to the supplier to provide the goods or services. Another method of decreasing administrative costs associated with repetitive contracts for common material, is the use of company credit cards, also known as "Purchasing Cards" or simply "P-Cards". Pcard programs vary, but all of them have internal checks and audits to ensure appropriate use. Purchasing managers realized once contracts for the low dollar value consumables are in place, procurement can take a smaller role in the operation and use of the contracts. There is still oversight in the forms of audits and monthly statement reviews, but most of their time is now available to negotiate major purchases and setting up of other long term contracts. These contracts are typically renewable annually. This trend away from the daily procurement function (tactical purchasing) resulted in several changes in the industry. The first was the reduction of personnel. Purchasing departments were now smaller. There was no need for the army of clerks processing orders for individual parts as in the past. Another change was the focus on negotiating contracts and procurement of large capital equipment. Both of these functions permitted purchasing departments to make the biggest financial contribution to the organization. A new terms and job title emerged Strategic sourcing and Sourcing Managers. These professionals not only focused on the bidding process and negotiating with suppliers, but the entire supply function. In these roles they were able to add value and maximize savings for organizations. This value was manifested in lower inventories, less personnel, and getting the end product to the organizations consumer quicker. Purchasing managers success in these roles resulted in new assignments outside to the traditional purchasing function logistics, materials management, distribution, and warehousing. More and more purchasing managers were becoming Supply Chain Managers handling additional functions of their organizations operation. Purchasing managers were not the only ones to become Supply Chain Managers. Logistic managers, material managers, distribution managers, etc. all rose the broader function and some had responsibility for the purchasing functions now. In accounting, purchases is the amount of goods a company bought throughout this year. it is also refers to information as to the kind,quality,quantity and cost of goods bought that should be maintained. They are added to inventory. Purchases are offset by Purchase Discounts and Purchase Returns and Allowances. When it should be added depends on the Free On Board (FOB) policy of the trade. For the purchaser, this new inventory is added on shipment if the policy was FOB shipping point, and the seller remove this item from its inventory. On the other hand, the purchaser added this inventory on receipt if the policy was FOB destination, and the seller remove this item from its inventory when it was delivered. Goods bought for the purpose other than direct selling, such as for Research and Development, are added to inventory and allocated to Research and Development expense as they are used. On a side note, equipments bought for Research and Development are not added to inventory, but are capitalized as assets.

Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale. Such finished goods may be used for manufacturing other, more complex products, such asaircraft, household appliances or automobiles, or sold to wholesalers, who in turn sell them to retailers, who then sell them to end users the "consumers". Manufacturing takes turns under all types of economic systems. In a free market economy, manufacturing is usually directed toward the mass production of products for sale to consumers at a profit. In a collectivist economy, manufacturing is more frequently directed by the state to supply a centrally planned economy. In mixed market economies, manufacturing occurs under some degree of government regulation. Modern manufacturing includes all intermediate processes required for the production and integration of a product's components. Some industries, such as semiconductor and steel manufacturers use the term fabrication instead. The manufacturing sector is closely connected with engineering and industrial design. Examples of major manufacturers in North America include General Motors Corporation, General Electric, and Pfizer. Examples in Europe include Volkswagen Group, Siemens, and Michelin. Examples in Asia include Toyota, Samsung, and Bridgestone.

Marketing is "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and [1] exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large." For business to consumer marketing it is "the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships, in order to capture value from customers in return". For business to business marketing it is creating value, solutions, and relationships either short term or long term with a company or brand. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, [2] and business developments. It is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer [2] relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves. Marketing is used to identify the customer, satisfy the customer, and keep the customer. With the customer as the focus of its activities, marketing management is one of the major components of business management. Marketing evolved to meet the stasis in developing new markets caused [citation needed] bymature markets and overcapacities in the last 2-3 centuries. The adoption of marketing strategies requires businesses to shift their focus from production to the perceived needs and wants of [citation needed] their customers as the means of staying profitable. The term marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs [3] and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions. It proposes that in order to satisfy its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate the needs and wants of consumers and [3] satisfy these more effectively than competitors. The term developed from an original meaning which referred literally to going to a market to buy or sell goods or services. Seen from a systems point of view, sales process engineering marketing is "a set of

processes that are interconnected and interdependent with other functions, improved using a variety of relatively new approaches."

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whose methods can be

Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship. Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck. In air and sea shipments, ground transportation is required to take the cargo from its place of origin to the airport or seaport and then to its destination because it is not always possible to establish a production facility near ports due to limited coastlines of countries. Ground transportation is typically more affordable than air shipments, but more expensive than shipping by sea especially in developing countries like India, where Inland infrastructure is not efficient. Shipment of cargo by trucks, directly from the shipper's place to the destination, is known as a door to door shipment and more commonly multimodal transport system. Trucks and trains make deliveries to sea ports and air ports where cargo is moved in bulk. Much shipping is done aboard actual ships. An individual nation's fleet and the people that crew it are referred to as its merchant navy or merchant marine. Merchant shipping is lifeblood to the world economy, carrying 90% of international trade with 102,194 commercial ships worldwide. The termshipping in this context originated from the shipping trade of wind power ships, and has come to refer to the delivery of cargo and parcels of any size above the common mail of letters and postcards.

Production control Activities involved in handling materials, parts, assemblies, and subassemblies, from their raw or initial stage to the finished product stage in an organized and efficient manner. It may also include activities such as planning, scheduling, routing, dispatching, storage, etc. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/productioncontrol.html#ixzz1yPGfhFhN

Customer service
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. According to Turban et al. (2002),[1] "Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation." Its importance varies by products, industry and customer; defective or broken merchandise can be exchanged, often only with a receipt and within a specified time frame. Retail stores often have a desk or counter devoted to dealing with returns, exchanges and complaints, or will perform related functions at the point of sale; the perceived success of such interactions being dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest,"[2] according to Micah Solomon quoted in Inc. Magazine. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue.[3] From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. A customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer has of the organization. Some have argued[4] that the quality and level of customer service has decreased in recent years, and that this can be attributed to a lack of support or understanding at the executive and middle management levels of a corporation and/or a customer service policy. To address this argument, man

Tool

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the American rock band, see Tool (band). For other uses, see Tool (disambiguation). Further information: Equipment (disambiguation)

A modern toolbox.

A tool is any item that can be used to achieve a goal, especially one that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such as Instrument,Utensil, Implement, Machine, or Apparatus. The set of tools needed to achieve a goal is equipment. The knowledge of constructing, obtaining and using tools is technology. Tool use by humans dates back millions of years, and other animals are also known to employ simple tools. y organizations have employed a variety of methods to improve their customer satisfaction levels, and other KPIs.[citation needed]