Weight
Value
Analysis - WVA
Now and then the weight become a critical issue in a
project. In order to reduce weight one needs to understand the current weight,
it's reasons and how it interact with what functions.
In
most projects the weight reduction activities compete with the cost targets.
What is easy to solve purely technical can be impossible to solve at an
acceptable cost.
One
therefore needs a method that helps the team to generate realistic ideas and to
evaluate them on weight, other performance and cost.
That
is why we developed the weight value analysis.
Based
upon the Value Analysis - VA, the WVA adds the weight
dimension and is the most efficient method to weight and cost
optimize a design. By understanding the product weight and cost in detail, the product
demands and the way they affect the weight and cost, the team will find the realistic and
feasible ways to modify the design.
The method provides a quick and effective way
of evaluating the suggested actions in order to prepare them for direct entry
into the implementation organization.
WVA
project
These are the typical steps when there is a customer buying
products or services from a supplier. If the studied cost is all internal some
of the steps are omitted.
 | Product or service selection
|
| Resources
and agreements
-Secure internal resources
-Producer agreement to do WVA, share detailed weight and cost data and how to split
savings and investments
-Secure producer resources
|
| Workshop
preparation (by facilitator and producer)
-Process mapping
-Product calculus including weight, reflecting
the process
|
| Weight
Value
Analysis workshop (full cross-functional team)
-Process walk (following the prepared process
map)
-Current weight and cost (reviewing the prepared CSU)
-Function Analysis (understanding the "must and must not's of the
product)
-Function Weight Analysis (addressing each cost to a function/cost driver to
understand how to affect the cost)
-Function Cost Analysis (addressing each cost to a function/cost driver to
understand how to affect the cost)
-Idea generation (by using the new knowledge and the team input)
-Idea filtering/evaluation/preparation (to make the first cross-functional
evaluation on potential, investment, quality, time etc)
|
| Implementation of feasible ideas, documentation of rejected
|
| New weight and price in accordance with initial agreement
|
