Design Principles in Operations Management: There are four major principles: 1. To satisfy the needs of customers. For examples cars, televisions, radios and refrigerators. These should all be made according to customers’ need. 2. Design activity must apply both to product / service and the process (system). 3. Design activity must be taken as transformation process itself. 4. Design to start with concept and end into a specification of something which can be created.

Following are the performance objectives of a product/service design:  Quality of product/service  Speed of product/service with which a design is produced  Dependability – the design should be delivered according to the promise.  Flexibility – Design should be able to incorporate latest ideas.  Cost – Design should not involve heavy cost which consumers cannot afford.

Once the product is designed then it needs to be produced through the process of transformation. There are two main types of process: 1. Manufacturing 2. Services

1. Manufacturing Manufacturing can have any of the following process:  Project process – This is required for customized product with start and end date. For example, constructing a bridge.  Mass process – High volume with narrow variety.  Continuous process – Endless flow like petrochemical refineries.

2. Services Process design can be of following categories:  Professional Services – are highly qualified with relevant degree for example, doctors etc.  Service shop – restaurants, travel agents  Mass service like national rail network, telecommunication

Following ten principles of design of a product/ service.  Usefulness – this refers to the functionality of the product.  Quality – performance of the product/service should be according to the specification.  Ease of use – The design of the product / service should avoid complications.  Simplicity – Simple to use i.e., friendly.  Clarity – Elimination of complex instructions.  Order – Details of the product should have logic, meaningful place with nothing arbitrary or coincidental.  Naturalness – Avoid artificial decorative elements.  Aesthetics – products must look attractive.  Innovative - product can be modified to new requirements.  Truthfulness – avoid playing with people emotions and weaknesses.

There are three stages involved in design process 1. The concept – At this stage the overall function and purpose of product is to be considered in terms of the benefits it will produce. Not all concepts which are generated will necessarily be capable of further development into a design. 2. The Package - Individual components of the product and support services are taken into account. 3. The process - Relationship between components of product to be produced is taken into account that means the mechanism of transforming design into product.

 Process to create a package Package in the design process defines how process will put together various components to create the final design of product or service. There could be several techniques for documenting the process; however all have following two main features. 1. Flow of Material – people or information through the operations. 2. Define different activities that takes place during the process