modularity - what are we talking about?

Dr Des Doran

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

What is modularity?

A useful and important starting point Definitions Literature contextualisation

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

Modularization The opportunity for mixing and matching of components

in a modular product design in which the standard

interfaces between components are specified to allow a

range of variation in components to be substituted in a

product architecture (Hsuan, 1999)

Modular system A system composed of units (or modules) that are

designed independently but still function as an integrated

whole ( Baldwin & Clark, 1997)

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

Modular Perspectives...

Modularity

Product architecture

Organisational modularity

Supply Chain

R & D

Product development

Operations Management

Service modularity

Strategy

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

Ulrich

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

How is the language of modularity developing? Starr (1965) – developing the idea of modularity Ulrich (1995) -Product architecture Camuffo (2002) – Defining modularity Baldwin and Clark (1997) – Defining modularity Sako & Murray (2000) – Exploring Strategic modularity Fine (2005) – Supply chain aspects of modularity Schilling and Steensma (2001); Brusoni and Prencipe

(2001) – Organizational modularity Voss and Hsuan (2009) – Service Modularity

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

Are existing tools, concepts and techniques appropriate?

Dimensions of modularity Continuum of modularity Pure modular, Hybrid, Pure integral

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

Pure modular Hybrid Non modular

Modular continuum

Keeping it simple

Making the claim for modularity Compare/contrast Providing clear cases

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010

Future directions

Developing service modularity tools, techniques and concepts

Service modularity – defining, articulating, proving

(Service) Supply chain implications of modularity

Services modularity within a manufacturing context

Modular education?

Copenhagen Business School, January 2010