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Strategic Design Management
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ameya.nabar@gmail.com |
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Design Interventions for Detergent Bar Breakages in Supply Chain
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Guide Shashank Mehta |
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Sponsonr Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Mumbai
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My project is a focused system study carried out to reduce the breakage problem in Wheel detergent bars. The Global Design Centre (GDC), Laundry Category of HUL, initiated this project. Bar breakage leads to a wastage of key resources like raw material, human resource, time and other environmental resources. Also, the revenue and the brand image are badly affected because of this issue. While the team at GDC initially asked us to focus on the product and process related aspects, my classmate Ajit Dandekar and I perceived it as a systems study. We each concentrated on two different aspects of the project. Ajit concentrated on the manufacturing part (i.e. from raw materials till dispatch from the factory). Whereas I concentrated on the supply chain (i.e. journey of detergent bars from factory till it reaches a consumer’s hands.)
My approach focused on applying a design approach to an issue considered typically as a non-design problem. My objective was to study the complete supply chain to find out opportunities for design interventions. I studied many factors like dispatching, transport, warehouses, retailers and customers. Some of my suggestions are currently in the prototyping and trial stage at GDC. My project exemplifies the effectiveness of design approaches to resolve issues typical to the industry.
My key learning is that design is often not about solving the existing problem, but sometimes taking a new perspective on the existing problem and transforming the problem in itself. This project has also exemplified the benefits of applying a multidisciplinary approach to design. |
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