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Product Innovation Through A3 Problem-Solving: Improving the Design of a Commercial Beverage Dispenser

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HCI International 2022 – Late Breaking Papers: Ergonomics and Product Design (HCII 2022)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 13522))

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that A3 problem-solving is able to enable design innovation in product development. A company that developed a commercial beverage dispenser participated in this study. The R&D manager of the company demonstrated to the research team three key problems that caused a long weekly cleaning cycle (complained by most customers): (1) complicated cleaning and sanitizing procedures; (2) inefficient water circulation; (3) poor fridge organization. Progressive A3s were then produced by our research team to solve each individual problem systematically. The iterative process allowed the team to actively collaborate with the R&D manager on the purpose, the goals, and the strategies of each problem. Results of this study revealed that the implementation of A3 not only generated innovative designs for reducing the weekly cleaning time by 38%, but also kept product development knowledge in one place. Outcomes of this study provide implications on team collaboration and knowledge-driven design in product development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Design, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

    Yu-Hsiu Hung & Der-Wei Liao

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  1. Yu-Hsiu Hung
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  2. Der-Wei Liao
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Correspondence to Yu-Hsiu Hung .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Vincent G. Duffy

  2. Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Pei-Luen Patrick Rau

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Hung, YH., Liao, DW. (2022). Product Innovation Through A3 Problem-Solving: Improving the Design of a Commercial Beverage Dispenser. In: Duffy, V.G., Rau, PL.P. (eds) HCI International 2022 – Late Breaking Papers: Ergonomics and Product Design. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13522. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21704-3_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21704-3_27

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-21703-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-21704-3

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