Integrating LeanDfX into PLM Tools to Enhance Efficiency and Effectiveness in Product Development

In an era of sharp competition and increasing customer expectations, optimizing the product design and development process is critical to deliver value-added solutions. This study explores the application of a PLM tool with a Lean (Design for Excellence) module integrated to enhance product development efficiency and effectiveness. The LeanDfX module incorporates lean principles with advanced design for X methodologies, enabling the systematic identification and incorporation of value-generating features into products. The proposed methodologies were embedded into a software platform based on versatility, ensuring its flexibility and adaptability to diverse industrial sectors and product categories. These features allow companies across various sectors to benefit from streamlined processes, enhanced collaboration, and reduced development cycle times. A baseline assessment of existing processes was then conducted, serving as a reference point to evaluate performance gaps and opportunities. Building on these insights, corrective and improvement actions were applied, directly informed by the baseline findings. In Case Study 1, the implementation of LeanDfX led to an increase in efficiency, achieving a 34.67% improvement in the displacement and 97.67% enhancement in mass, values that were critical in the baseline analysis. In Case Study 2, the implementation of LeanDfX demonstrated an increase of efficiency through a 98.84% improvement in the Gripping Area of 150 mm², an upgrade in Gripping Area of 550 mm² of 27.32% and a 67.02% enhancement in mass, values that needed to be addressed to ensure the proper functionality of the gripper. By incorporating baseline-driven evaluation and iterative refinement, the approach demonstrated that PLM serves both as a tool for continuous improvement in existing systems and as a strategic framework for guiding innovation during product conception and development.