A B2B- B2C modular
storage platform
01
About the project
Facom roller storage cabinets dominate the industrial, aerospace, and automotive worlds for years. With their high-end storage and mobility solutions they give end users the highest quality and innovative products
My role
Research
Project mapping a concepts
Physical mockups
Visual design
design for manufacturing
Usability testings
Challenges
For these end users, clutter in the work environment could create a life-threatening situation.
They perform hundreds of tasks every day, using thousands of tools, all need to be stored, mobilized, and ready for the next challenge.
Objectives
Platform and consolidate JET and ROLL to be made of the same components.
Design a modular platform, configurable in production per user order.
Create a safe and tidy environment to prevent safety hazards.
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02
Research
We held 32 interviews with users, sales reps, and team managers and visited 8 facilities to observe and study end users work habits and procedures.
We observed our manufacturing teams to determine what improvements were needed in the current products manufacturing.
Personas
“Each task we perform requires
a huge amount of different tools
and accessories, most times this result in a major mess and clutter….”
Benoit Ozzene,
Chef de mechanic,
Renault sport racing team
“We use preconfigured toolkits for every job, it would be great if you could
make them fit inside. This could prevent FODs and save lives….”
Celine DeBerte,
Chef de mechanic,
Airbus
“There are far too many components
to assemble each product.
This increases complexity and makes production less efficient ….”
Pier Rokman
Floor manager
Facom Feuquières-en-Vimeu factory
03
Work Assumptions
Define and sort tool kits by tasks, and form the minimal tool tray size.
Design from the inside out, define the basic building block first.
Plan the basic platform to get upgrades, and to also work in its basic layout.
The modular construction makes this platform agile to keep growing and evolving
04
Ideation
As a first step in building the program, I invited the team from France,
for two weeks of brainstorming sessions, to set the roadmap for the project.
After which we formed the brief to move forward according to
Design process wireframing
05
I wireframed the design process to be methodically made from the inside out with four main steps,
With each step dictating the dimensions and framework for the next.
Tool trays definition
According to tasks, as the
basic building block
to define the entire system
Drawer sizing & Construction
Defined by the tray dimensions
and designed to fit the two brands
specs and design languages
Cabinet housing platforming
Designed to work both stripped
for ROLL, and to get bumpers and
accessories for the high-end JET
New units and accessories
Using the new modular construction,
design new modules to the system and design the accessory platform
06
Detailed design
Funneling down all the data and definitions into the final design,
To answer both the end users needs and company requests.
this meant fighting all fronts all at the same time
Tools trays definition
visited, observed, and interviewed users in 8 facilities to study
their behaviors and needs.
I defined and sorted the toolkits used for different tasks.
Established 73 different toolkits that cover all major tasks performed by the users.
Defined kit tray dimensions, as the basic building block increment of the cabinet.
Turning this
To that
Cabinet sizes are determined
by the number of tool treys they fit
Drawer sizing and construction
Defined the drawer dimensions by fitting the tool trays inside side by side.
Designed one base construction to serve both Jet and Roll lines.
Modular base design allows for different drawer facades and features to distinguish between the brands.
Designed all drawer variants to be made by the automated robotic line.
3 drawer width and 4 drawer depth designed, with a total of 24 drawer variants all made automatically
Cabinet housing platforming
Defined the housing dimensions by the different drawer sizes.
Designed one base housing to serve both lines and reduced manufacturing complexity drastically.
Modular base design allows for different specs, features and constructions for Jet and Roll.
Same construction, built differently
For the different lines
Open storage cart platform
made from the system's components
The new construction allows users
to mount accessories that answer
many of their workflow needs
New units and accessories
Utilizing the modular design, we built an open carts system from
the same components to answer workflow needs.
Designed a vast accessory system that fits on the cabinet top railing system.
Designed over 30 add-on accessories to answer many of the end users needs and pains.
07
Results
By designing the platform methodically and systematically,
we managed to meet and even exceed all requirements
both for our users and for the corporate
46% increase in sales and revenues over
the first year
To that
42% reduction in production cost and complexity
41 new modules,
73 tool trays
34 accessories
Transformed end users work environment
From this
To that
