This module, the final in our series on Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management, will provide you with a powerful set of tools to achieve these goals. You will start by exploring three fundamental concepts: component commonality, modularity vs. integral design, and universality.

A framework for costs and benefits will help you understand the value of these ideas and what to expect as you integrate them into your product design plans. You will see an excellent example of postponement, a strategy that can enhance service levels with lower inventories.

Youll also learn how to quickly estimate the positive impact of a postponement strategy in your own company without analyzing sales data or using complex calculations. You will see examples of how postponement can be implemented through software, applied to product packaging, and even how it can help during a new product launch.