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The Monozukuri framework includes pillars such as right-sizing, complexity reduction, materials challenge or “budomari” and THaNKS just to name a few.

What does this Monozukuri mindset mean for the balance between product design and costs? According to Nissan, this approach encourages sound decision making. It's very important for example, in value engineering and right-sizing, to work the equation all the way through to ensure functionality and quality are not compromised in efforts to reduce costs. Nissan is focused on enhancing their brand and ensuring their products meet and exceed the needs of their customers.

A guiding principle for the right-sizing pillar is to be sure that specifications, accessories and features actually create value for customers. It makes no sense, for example, to add a button on a chrome door handle if it does not increase value or convenience for the consumer.

Budomari, or “manufacturing yield efficiency,” describes how Nissan bears down on waste by looking closely at scrap and at raw material usage. For example, when the skin blanks are cut for door trim, the cutting process can be arranged so that the amount of scrap material is minimized either by fitting the “puzzle pieces” together in a more efficient pattern, or by enabling recycling of the smaller pieces.

Another success story from Nissan’s Monozukuri mindset was the complexity reduction of the windshield wipers. Complexity reduction focuses on the elimination of low or no volume part numbers for production and past model service parts. A cross-functional team tallied up Nissan’s windshield wiper offerings and discovered a total of 250 wipers! Not only does this cause consumer confusion and retail chaos, but for Nissan, too many wiper styles added tooling, packaging, logistics, and overhead management costs. The answer? The team reduced the 250 wipers to 12 universal wipers, with improved standardization in packaging, saving money and simplifying choices for the consumer.

THaNKS is an acronym but it basically represents NISSAN’s collaborative improvement efforts at supplier’s operations. In preparation for a THaNKS site visit, Nissan team members conduct pre-visits which include a walk through evaluation of existing processes with the supplier to identify opportunities for improvement. Together, Nissan and suppliers develop a strategy based on the pre-visit and determine the focus area for an intense four-day, hands-on kaizen activity designed to eliminate waste or streamline the existing process. Nissan’s approach is designed to be non-disruptive of day to day activities. Supplier development experts prefer two or four day visits, with three follow-up visits, compared to the usual three month stay. Nissan encourages suppliers to continue similar efforts to identify waste and streamline processes by having their own Monozukuri organization in place on a continuous basis.

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