Five-step design method by Elon Musk

Introduction

In today's dynamic global environment, companies face rising labor, energy, and material costs, which reduce profit margins and can lead to financial problems. Companies should overcome these challenges and strive to stay ahead of the competition through innovation and efficient operations.

In this context, optimizing products and their manufacturing processes is essential to success. A key role is played by the application of a set of modern design recommendations referred to as Design for Excellence, in particular, the Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) methods.

Elon Musk himself presented this topic in an incredibly exciting way, and I trust that no engineer needs an introduction to this legendary figure :)

In this article, we will explore the comprehensive five-step design and manufacturing method according to Elon Musk, used at SpaceX and Tesla. This approach, which includes DFX methods but also extends to many aspects beyond traditional DFX, is sure to inspire and motivate you in your own product development journey.

Elon Musk's five-step engineering process

1: Make the requirements less dumb

Elon: "Your requirements are definitely dumb; it does not matter who gave them to you. It's particularly dangerous if a smart person gave you the requirements because you might not question them enough (...) everyone is wrong some of the time."[1]

Companies waste a lot of resources designing products to meet incorrectly specified requirements or requirements that should not exist at all. This results in product redesign, increased costs, and delays in bringing products to market.

Incorrect requirements often arise from misunderstandings between stakeholders or misinterpretations. Ambiguities in this area result in huge costs at later design and production stages.

Consider the following recommendations for reducing incorrect requirements:

• Assign responsibility: For each requirement, assign who is responsible and who can verify or justify the reason for the given requirement.
• Verify every requirement. Question each of them. Why is there such a requirement? Can we remove it completely? If we can't remove it, are measurable parameters established for the requirement? Are these parameters meaningful? Always question the requirements.

2. Delete the part or process step

Elon: "If you're not deleting a part of the process step (...) basically if you're not adding things back in 10% of the time, you're clearly not deleting enough."[1]

Many engineers approach a product or process design "standard way." They apply typical solutions and add some extra features/functions that may be useful, sometimes "just in case." This approach usually requires the addition of components or program code, which increases the product's complexity and cost and degrades the system's reliability.

Elon wants designers to remove as many items as possible from the design. When did one know that reduction was effective? If the design does not function without adding back 10% of items/time/steps, then you achieved the required level of reduction. It is an excellent advice.

Of course, removing a part or process step is one of many aspects of the Design for Excellence (DFX) method. Note: Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) are crucial in our quest for more efficient and cost-effective design.

3. Simplify or optimize

Elon: "The reason this is the third step is cause it's very common, possibly the most common error of a smart engineer is to optimize the thing that should not exist."[1]

Optimizing a part for manufacturability (DFM) or ease of assembly (DFA) makes a lot of sense, of course, but first, make sure that the part is actually necessary for the project. Sometimes, we can conclude that: the biggest loss is the perfect execution of unnecessary work - this is what Elon Musk warns us against.

For more information on project optimization methods, see the following articles:

• Design for manufacturability (DFM)
• Design for assembly (DFA)
• Design for test (DFT)
• Design for cost (DFC)

4. Accelerate cycle time

Elon: "You're moving too slowly; go faster! But don't go faster until you've worked on the other three things first because if you are digging and you are great, don't dig it faster; stop digging your grave."[1]

Elon Musk stresses that before moving faster, we must first sort out the basics, i.e., requirements, part reduction, and design optimization. These are the previously discussed steps.

Increasing the efficiency of a process that produces a costly and error-laden product is akin to digging your grave. It is better not to dig it quickly, or preferably not to dig it at all. Why create more costs and sink the company?

Once the project is slimmed down and optimized for production, assembly, and testing, work on speeding it up. Apply tools and methods such as Lean Manufacturing and other solutions to increase process efficiency.

Elon Musk warns against speeding up activities that are inefficient or even harmful. If we are performing tasks that don't make sense or are poorly planned, speeding up will only make things worse. We must first focus on eliminating errors and optimizing parts or processes. Speeding up activities without first analyzing and improving only leads to a bad result faster, which Elon compares to digging your own grave.

5. Automate

Elon: "Then the final step is to automate."[1]

Finally, when the product design is simple, reliable, and production-friendly, the final step is automation.

Automating manufacturing processes is a game-changer, offering a slew of benefits such as ramping up production rates, enhancing product quality, and significantly cutting down operating costs. With automated production systems like robots, cobots, and automatic assembly lines, companies can make the most of their resources and boost the efficiency of the entire production process, enabling them to bring their products to market faster.

Introducing automation into production increases efficiency and helps companies maintain a competitive edge in the global market.

Summary

According to Elon Musk, the five-step engineering method used at SpaceX and Tesla leads to increased innovation and efficiency, enabling new products and breakthrough technologies.

The approach starts by making requirements less error-prone by questioning and verifying each one. It then focuses on removing unnecessary parts or process steps. The third step involves simplifying or optimizing the design and process. After optimization, the fourth step is to speed up cycle time by streamlining the manufacturing process. Finally, the fifth step is to automate the manufacturing process, ensuring efficiency, reliability and promising further cost reduction.

Elon Musk's method encompasses many aspects of Design for Excellence but goes beyond the typical scope of DFX. Reality has verified that this method is very effective and worth implementing in various projects.