EPPENDORF: Develop Products Faster
How can product costs be reduced while bringing products to market faster? Eppendorf achieves this by using a common product architecture across different sizes and product lines. More common parts, fewer SKUs, and greater reuse reduce complexity and development effort, laying the foundation for a shorter time to market.
In order to serve different application areas in medical technology more efficiently, Eppendorf relies on a common product architecture across the different sizes and product lines of individual product groups. At our Industry Forum, Philipp Abel and Alexandra Brisch shared their experiences: “When setting up the modular structure, it was important to get the entire team on board and deliver tangible progress reports to management. An architecture can quickly become a complex ivory tower that neither the team nor the management understands. In our collaboration with Odego, we achieved a breakthrough using a bottom-up approach that enabled us to get everyone involved”, reports Philipp Abel. “Our Cquenz model is the current basis. To ensure that this is always accessible to everyone, we have set up an architecture overview via the Cquenz Excel interface”, adds Alexandra Brisch. And it works: the new way of working is now receiving a high level of recognition from management and by colleagues.
Using this approach, Eppendorf has succeeded in doubling its release speed, significantly increasing the proportion of common parts, and thereby eliminating a large portion of its previous product line.
Using this approach, Eppendorf has succeeded in doubling its release speed, significantly increasing the proportion of common parts, and thereby eliminating a large portion of its previous product line. The Eppendorf example illustrates the connection between product cost optimization and a shorter time to market: A common product architecture increases reusability, reduces the number of different parts required, and accelerates the development of new products.
