不同外包策略下的产品模块化设计和供应链决策分析

Product modular design and supply chain decision analysis under different outsourcing strategies

模块化策略在企业生产和运营中的优势被广泛认可,设计科学的产品模块化程度是模块化策略成功的关键。本文考虑产品模块化的基础上,构建了包含制造商及模块供应商的供应链决策模型,比较了不同外包策略下产品模块化设计、定价和供应链利润。结果显示:首先,在不同的模块外包策略下,最优产品模块化程度不同。当制造商选择部分模块外包或全部模块外包策略时,模块化程度较低的产品架构更有利于制造商获得竞争优势。相对于两种外包策略,独立生产时制造商利润、市场份额以及供应链系统利润更高。其次,三种决策模型中,产品价格随模块化敏感系数和技术敏感系数的上升而增加,且制造商利润随技术敏感系数上升而增加。只有独立生产策略中的制造商利润随模块化敏感系数上升而增加。最后,当产品技术较高或模块化敏感系数较低时,模块化程度较低的架构设计对制造商更有利。反之,模块化程度高的架构设计更有利。

The globalization trend and customers′diversified demands are constantly forcing companies to shift their production model from mass production to mass customization.To achieve the agility and flexibility required by mass customization,manufacturing industries opt for a modularization strategy based on the product modular design.The modular design allows more flexibility in production and improves the responsiveness of organizations.However,it doesn′t mean that a higher degree of modularity is more beneficial to enterprises.In the long run,a high degree of modularity accelerates the loss of product technology.Therefore,designing an appropriate degree of modularity is the key to protecting product technology and ensuring the success of modularization strategy.In addition,the traditional sourcing mode can no longer meet enterprises′needs,and modular sourcing and outsourcing are gradually replacing the traditional modes for enterprises to focus on their core competencies.Synthesizing the above analysis,this study build a two-echelon supply chain decision model that includes product manufacturers as well as module suppliers,taking the product technology level as an influencing factor to investigate how manufacturers determine the degree of modularity and price under different modular outsourcing strategies,and analyze the impacts of modularity sensitivity coefficient and technology sensitivity coefficient on the profitability of manufacturers and suppliers.The first section presents the product modularization strategy and the rise of modular outsourcing,and discusses the importance of determining an appropriate degree of product modularity for a company to successfully implement the modularization strategy,and thereby introduces the issue to be studied.The second part provides an overview of the research related to product modularity and modular design based on supply chain decision-making.Existing studies have investigated the relationship between product modularity and supplier relationships,supplier capabilities,delivery lead times,etc.Moreover,most of the existing studies only focus on enterprises′choice between integrated and modular architectures,and only a few studies give countermeasures for determining a proper degree of modularity.Through literature review,we find that existing studies have not researched product modularity design and supply chain decisions in the context of modular outsourcing.In the third section,we construct a supply chain decision model containing manufacturers and module suppliers,and divide the manufacture of products into two main stages:design stage and production stage,with three different modular outsourcing strategies.In the first stage,the manufacturer designs the product architecture and determines the degree of modularity.In the second stage,the manufacturer can independently produce or outsource part or all of the modules.Based on this model,the optimal degree of modularity is calculated and the influences of product modularity sensitivity coefficient and technology sensitivity coefficient on pricing and profitability are analyzed.In the fourth section,we conduct a sensitivity analysis.The results show that the optimal degree of product modularization changes under different modular outsourcing strategies.Once a manufacturer decides to outsource part,or all,of the modules,A low modularity product architecture is more advantageous in maintaining a competitive advantage.Compared with all-module outsourcing and partial-module outsourcing,the manufacturers′profits,market share,and supply chain system benefits are higher in the independent production strategy.At the same time,when product technology is high or modularization sensitivity is low,choosing a low modularity product architecture is more advantageous to manufacturers,and conversely,choosing an architecture design with high modularization is more advantageous.Finally,in the three decision models,the product price increases with an increase in the modularity and technology sensitivity coefficients;specifically,the manufacturer′s profit increases with an increase in the technology sensitivity coefficient.However,it is only in the independent production strategy that the manufacturer′s profit increases with an increase in the modularity sensitivity coefficient.The fifth section discusses the findings of the study and provides management recommendations in several aspects of product modularity design,product pricing,as well as market share and profit improvement.The findings break through the limitations of the choice between integrated and modular architectures and provide a theoretical basis for firms to choose an appropriate degree of modularity in different situations.In addition,the following aspects may be considered in the future.First,future studies should consider manufacturers and module suppliers′synergistic mechanisms to optimize the supply chain system′s decision making.Secondly,future studies should equip suppliers with product design capabilities to analyze the competition between manufacturers and suppliers.Thirdly,the impact of modularity on green supply chain decisions should be investigated in the future.To sum up,product modular design can reduce the friction and conflict between organizations and is an effective way for enterprises in agile manufacturing.However,it does not mean that designing highly modular product architecture is always beneficial for enterprises in modular outsourcing.High modularity of product architecture may lead to enterprises losing their competitive advantage,therefore,designing an appropriate degree of product modularity based on different contexts is essential to guarantee the success of the modularization strategy.