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http://www.manageengine.com/products/netflow/supported-devices.html Modular product development A review of modularization objectives as well as techniques for identifying modular product architectures, presented in a unified model. Øystein Eggen Department of Product Design Norwegian University of Science and Technology ABSTRACT There are two types of product architecture; modular and integral. An integral architecture includes a complex (not one-to-one) mapping from functional elements to physical components and/or coupled interfaces between components (Ulrich, 1995). A modular architecture on the other hand, has a one-to-one correspondence between modules and functions. It is built up of sub-systems or modules that interact with each other through a set of well-defined rules. Such a modular architecture allows a design change to be made to one module without requiring a change to other modules for the product to function properly. A familiar example of a modular product architecture is the desktop computer, in which a range of variations in microprocessors, memory cards, hard disks, monitors, keyboards and other components can be freely combined to configure a nearly unlimited number of product variations. Modular architectures are used to manage market uncertainty. When future consumer preferences are uncertain, the flexibility to accommodate a range of product variations may be designed into a modular architecture as a means for managing the irreducible uncertainties as to which product variations consumers will want in the future (Sanchez, 2002). Production costs may also be reduced through increased economies of scale in producing components, extended economies of learning, and increased buying power for outsourced components. Because a modular architecture can represent a one-to-one mapping of specific user benefits into a specific technical component, the strategic role of each component can be made clear. The modularization strategy may be taken too far. For Volkswagen, brand cannibalization is already a problem. Sometimes an integral product architecture may be a better solution.