Reduce Unique ICDs by Redesigning the Product or the Process

The objective of this activity is to reduce the number of ICDs by reducing the occurrence of an ICD in producing a unit of Output, or by reducing the number of separate ICDs used in the Output. A unique ICD is one of the key activities in the work center's contribution to the final product (O). It is separate and distinct from any other activity in the work center. For example, the fastening of a part onto a subassembly and a quality control check of the subassembly would be unique ICDs.

B. Redesign the process of producing the ICD or Output

Change the process used to produce the ICD or Output to eliminate activities.

2. Shift ICD to others outside the company with no payment for their assistance

Customers:
Sell

No. Industry SIC Year Notes
1 2752 2006 VistaPrint now dominates the online printing sector with its large fan base. Customers use Vista Print's Web browser to design print materials and submit orders. VistaPrint aggregates the orders so it can schedule and print them in the most efficient way. The company has a proprietary patented technology that aggregates orders into one printing batch. It can handle 14,000 to 15,000 orders daily. The aggregation software scans the orders for like orders, aggregates those, and can send up to 143 separate orders at one time. VistaPrint outlays a minute of labor per individual print order. The same order might take an hour at small print ships.
2 3400 2004 When the Gillette Co. gave away thousands of Mach 3 Turbo razors to promote its innovative triple-bladed shaver, the company was asking males to donate time and their faces to test out their new product. Gillette was asking the males to risk nicks, cuts or an inadequate shave in return for a free product. In the end Gillette must persuade Mach 3 Turbo prospects that the value of its subsidy to them is greater than the risk of their subsidy to Gillette. The value of that differential subsidy creates a rationale for both parties to take a chance on the innovation. This approach invites creative cross subsidy that can be migrated and marketed into profitable innovation adoptions.
3 3600 1991 GE is experimenting with letting major customers enter orders directly into GE's data system.
4 5411 2004 Albertson's is using new technology to gather information and build customer loyalty. The hand-held devices, Shop 'n' Scans, are being tested at more than a 100 stores in Chicago. The devices allow customers to tally and bag groceries as they shop, eliminating time on check-out lines. They also remind customers about items they may have forgotten. Albertson's customers who use the Shop 'n' Scan devices are on average buying twice as much as they used to on each store visit. One reason: Because they can track the amount they are spending as they shop, they know exactly when they hit their budget limit and feel freer to buy until they do.
5 5661 2005 DSW Inc. is a brand-name shoe retailer. In its early years, DSW mainly bought overstocked items and year-old goods. That changed as its vendor relationships strengthened. Now 80% of its goods are current and in season. To make sure customers get fresh goods, DSW delivers a new crop of shoes to stores every week. 80% of its goods sell at the initial price. DSW turns over its merchandise a little more than four times a year vs. twice a year at a typical department store. The company mainly competes with department stores. A typical DSW store carriers 30,000 pairs of shoes in 2,000 styles. That's twice the assortment you'll find at most department stores. It's a leader in terms of breadth of styles in women's shoes, and it has a pretty good assortment of men's and children's shoes as well. Each DSW store averages 25,000 sq. feet. Shoes are displayed on the selling floor with self-service fixtures.
6 6531 1999 Realtors report savings from their web sites as they are able to sell directly and more easily to customers.
7 7011 2005 Hilton has begun to install computerized check-in kiosks in lobbies of its larger hotels last year. It also placed a check-in kiosk at Honolulu International Airport.
8 7812 2006 Walt Disney Co. is launching a new marketing campaign in China in hopes of getting consumers to help it weed out counterfeit products. In the first three weeks of the promotion, the company received 250,000 entries for the anticounterfeiting contest and has to print more entry forms. Some customers have even called the company to alert it to retailers selling products without the stickers. The calls help Disney alert those retailers selling pirated goods unwittingly that they aren't stocking legitimate goods.
9 8062 2007 To speed up the check-in process, emergency rooms are introducing electronic checkin systems similar to those used in hotels and airports. The system offers greater privacy and may help the staff identify those in need of immediate attention. However, it does little to reduce the overall wait required to see a doctor.

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