In a couple of days, IKEA will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their classic bookshelf Billy and to this date IKEA has sold more than 41 million Billy:s and whilst doing so continuously improved their supply chain performance in such a manner that they’ve been able to lower the price to consumer by 30 percent.
One of the lesser known reasons for this superb performance is the constant interaction between IKEA designers, purchasers and the actual end-user goods. Many IKEA purchasing staffers eat their lunch in the IKEA store food court – right there alongside consumers – and on their way to lunch they pass through the store seeing their products “in action”.
So not only do the purchasers and designers have the possibility to constantly monitor how consumers judge their products, they’re also provided ample non-formal opportunities to engage in development. And as anyone familiar with creative (and yes, I do count purchasers as creatives) work will acknowledge – the best ideas are often hatched outside of the confinement of the office.
