The complexity of new products: a dynamic model for productivity loss analysis within productive systems

Abstract Globalization has been constantly changing the consumer market characteristics in which companies are inserted, as well as their clients’ necessities. Thus, to maintain competitiveness in this market, companies need to include certain features in their products which lead to an increase in the complexity of these products. These complexities may cause unwanted effects in manufacturing productivity. Knowing this, a dynamic simulation model was developed to verify the effects that product complexity may have on system productivity. For this, bibliographic research on complexity and product complexity has been done to identify not only the elements which characterize them but also the effects they may cause in manufacturing. Through simulations, it is concluded that increments in product complexity generate a 50% productivity loss, and if the line has restrictions in its capacity, these losses are more than 60%. Ultimately, previous analysis of the changes product complexity may cause in the process is an effective tool to reduce productivity loss, which is evidence that efficient management of complexity is necessary for the processes of product development.

摘要：全球化一直在持续改变企业所处的消费市场特征，以及客户的需求。因此，为了在该市场中维持竞争力，企业需在产品中融入各类特性，而这会导致产品复杂度提升。此类复杂度提升可能会对制造生产率产生负面影响。基于此背景，本研究开发了一套动态仿真模型，以验证产品复杂度（product complexity）对系统生产率可能产生的影响。为此，研究团队围绕复杂度（complexity）与产品复杂度开展了文献调研，不仅明确了二者的核心表征要素，还梳理了其在制造环节可能引发的各类效应。通过仿真实验，研究得出结论：产品复杂度的提升会导致50%的生产率损失；若产线存在产能约束，则生产率损失将超过60%。综上，预先分析产品复杂度可能对生产流程造成的影响，是降低生产率损失的有效手段，这也证明了对复杂度进行高效管理对于产品开发流程而言至关重要。