Assignment: Business Operation Management
Critical Thinking
IKEA's New Product Development through "Open Sourcing."
A few short news items discuss Ikea's, and others, new product development foray into open-sourced furniture. In addition to offering furniture that has a specific purpose and function, IKEA plans to introduce multi-functional (or even omni-functional) furniture, called Delaktig, which consumers can modify/adapt to the suit their needs. This move is an effort to embrace a community of Ikea-hackers who share ideas for how to modify IKEA products. Few other startups, such as Ori Systems and Lovesac, are establishing themselves in this niche of furniture industry.
Critically analyze the information contained in news articles. Then write well-thought out answers to questions listed below:
1. How would you describe IKEA's product development strategy for open-sourced furniture?
2. What are the pros and cons of the concept of open-sourced product development?
3. How does the concept of Ikea's open-sourced, omni-functional furniture concept compares with furniture systems concept, such as Ori and Lovesac, which are designed with pre-established multi-functionality in mind?
Discussion: Hospitals printing 3-D hearts to help in surgeries
For your discussion, I am including below links to news item (and videos) detailing how doctors and hospitals are developing models of patients' hearts using 3-D printing technology to help them better prepare for surgical procedures. Using 3-D printing, their goal is to create an online database of 3-D printed heart from patients with congenital heart defects, which will help standardize the process of printing hearts.
3-D printing technology is offering a revolutionary way to develop to pursue new product development in all industrial settings. Back in 2014 when I was doing my clinical research sabbatical fellowship at NIH, 3-D printing application were being explored in prosthetic devices as well. Lately, these 3D-printable prosthetics are changing the face of medicine. Consumer 3D printing is leading to a "DIY" assistive devices revolution.
Provide your opinion on what your learned from these news items. In your discussion, you may include your insights on how else can 3-D printing be used in medical care and on how manufacturers in other industries are now using, or can use, this product development technology.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Attachment:- IKEA-Open-Sources.rar