Brainstorming Ideas: Reduce the Rate of Cost for the Input Used to Produce the Output

Use the same type of Input and the same activities, but pay less for the unit of Input employed in producing the Output. A reduction in rate is equivalent to a reduction in the number of Inputs for the same ICD. For example, if a person who makes $10 per hour could produce the same amount of Output as a person making $20 an hour, the substitution of the $10 person for the $20 person in the process would be equivalent to cutting the number of people required to do the work by 50%.

G. Expand in-house ICDs to reduce rate on purchased ICDs:

Sometimes it is better for the company to increase the activities (ICDs) inside the company in order to reduce the effective rate paid on purchased ICDs. This occurs when the price on purchased ICDs is high enough to allow the company to make a return on its investment by producing the same ICDs in-house rather than purchasing them from third parties.

1. Warnings and advice

2. Create rather than license designs and products

3. Make rather than buy ICDs

4. SELL DIRECT RATHER THAN THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES

a. Form company owned customer or distributor Examples>>
b. Buy and operate current intermediary Examples>>
c. Eliminate intermediary and sell direct Examples>>
d. Eliminate one of two levels of intermediary Examples>>

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