Have you ever tried to assemble an IKEA wardrobe, only to realise halfway through that one screw is missing? Or worse, that you have a complete part left over?
That feeling, frustration, chaos, lost time, is exactly what happens when companies design their modules the wrong way.
Too big, too small, or simply impractical.
And here’s the thing: those mistakes don’t just cost you time. They cost you a lot of money too.
The problem with large modules
Imagine you are building an electric scooter and you put all the electronics, battery, display and controller, into one huge block. Simple, right?
Until a customer wants a more powerful battery.
Then you have a problem. Everything is connected, and you either have to replace the entire block or make very expensive adjustments.
This is what you get:
• High costs. Changing everything for one small adjustment becomes a costly nightmare.
• Long lead times. Your entire production process comes to a halt because of something small.
• Frustrated customers. Because you cannot quickly give them what they want.
A modular architecture with modules that are too large is essentially an engineer-to-order setup with a modular label on it. Every order requires adjustments to the standard modules, which should not be confused with customer-specific options and variants.
In these cases, companies invest a lot of money in modularising their products, without achieving the intended benefits.
Small modules: sounds good, but…
Okay, so you might think: “Then I’ll just make everything nice and small.”
Sounds good, right?
Flexible, everything fits together, endless options.
But small modules bring their own problems:
• Complexity. The more separate modules you have, the more you need to plan and manage.
• High inventory costs. Your warehouse turns into storage space for unnecessary parts.
• Lost time. Production becomes a puzzle of thousands of pieces that never quite fit together.
When modules are too small, each module will be used less often. As a result, production still ends up making one-off products or very small series.
Managing the documentation, both for design and for production orders and instructions, takes a lot of time. The large variety of modules leads to confusion in the configure-to-order process, and the product configurator becomes too complex to program and maintain.
It is like having 10,000 different types of LEGO bricks, all of which you also need to keep in stock to fulfil customer orders.
With modules that are too small, the benefits of modularization are also lost.
So what does work?
The trick is balance.
Not too big, not too small.
But how do you determine that?
At Modular5, we look at three things:
- What do you want to achieve?
Modularisation starts with your vision. Based on that vision, customer needs are mapped out and logically grouped into functions per module.
- How much variation does your market require?
The modules must be configurable, so that market needs can be met without having to modify the modules themselves. Every modular architecture allows for options, variants and customization.
- What are your production capabilities?
The design of each product must be producible in your own workshop and by your suppliers. An optimised design can save a lot of money.
It is not one-size-fits-all.
Your company, your market and your customers determine what works best.
A practical example
One of our customers, a manufacturer of high-tech machines, struggled with exactly this problem.
They were working with modules that were too small.
Everything was possible, but it cost them an enormous amount of time and money to fulfil each customer request.
Together, we redefined the module size. Some parts were combined, while others were split up.
The result?
Less failure costs. No more hours wasted fixing mistakes.
Shorter lead times. Customers received their machines weeks earlier.
Happier employees. Less stress, more clarity and a working day that finally became manageable.
Why this matters for your company
Let’s be honest: everyone wants to make more profit with less stress.
A good module structure does exactly that:
More profit. The cost per product is significantly lower, while more value is delivered to the customer. In many cases, modular companies can also charge a higher price for their product.
Lower workload. Your team does not have to reinvent the wheel every time.
Faster innovation. A flexible module structure allows you to respond more quickly to new trends. In addition, the design department has more time to introduce innovations.
What now?
Are you sure your modules are designed properly?
Or do you secretly feel that you are wasting time and money?
Maybe you are considering setting up a modular product structure, but you do not know where to start.
We would be happy to help you get a clear picture together.
💬 Share your thoughts: do you think your modules are optimal?
📞 Want to know what this could mean for your company? Schedule a no-obligation call with our experts.
Modularisation can make your work easier and increase your profit.
But only if you approach it in the right way.
So, what are you waiting for?
