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The design stage is the most important one. Here the foundations are laid: the use of toxic materials in production is avoided; it is ensured that the appliances help to conserve natural resources when in use; and the recycling potential of the materials used is considered. Lots of different departments work closely together during product design: Marketing and Market Research investigate opportunities for new products and their potential for improvement. Construction/Development contributes its knowledge to the development of ideas. The Design team applies the requirements and comes up with innovations that will then be tested in the application laboratory. This whole process is monitored by experts in Quality Management and the Environment Offi ce to ensure that departmental standards and legal specifi cations are adhered to, and also to provide expert knowledge. And so, environmental concerns are systematically integrated into the product design phase using checklists and specifi cation sheets. Miele has been using scenario technology since 2006. This helps to identify risks and opportunities early on in the development phase and allows research and development strategies to be applied. Taking laundry care products as an example, possible scenarios for the year 2020 are systematically gathered and strategies are developed and measures decided upon. At the same time, a constant monitoring system for strategic early diagnosis has been created and integrated into the standardised innovation management process.
"The developement of appliances with innovative technologies, low proneness to defects, long life cycles and maxiimum economic potential are key issues of sustainability that a manufacturer of household appliances must consider. Miele has been meeting these demands for years and is a market leader in many of these aspects."
Elke Wieczorek, Vice President of the German Federation for Housewives
The design phase
Good design is more than just an eye-catching style. Good domestic appliances are more than just practical aids. Domestic appliances from Miele are clearly defined as premium appliances and can be recognised as such thanks to their design, meaning more than just the shape. At Miele, design is understood in its original meaning as an initial draft and improvement process. The Miele design pays particular attention to the needs of the consumer.
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Alongside the shape, a key aspect of design is the user guidance, from opening the appliance up to the question as to how the appliance could be used incorrectly. It is important for all Miele appliances in the kitchen to not only have a similar appearance, but also to share a similar structure and function in a similar manner. To ensure this, tests are carried out in the in-house application lab, investigating how the controls are used. Five cameras in the test studio monitor the users — run-of-the-mill, ordinary consumers. Every hand movement and grasp is registered and assessed. The results from these tests are invaluable for the development work carried out by Miele designers.
Achievements
Miele has been optimising the complete concept of product responsibility on a continuous basis since the company‘s inception. The result: Miele’s appliances last longer than the rest. Miele tests its appliances to ensure that they have a lifespan of 20 years and is the only company to do this. The consumption values of household appliances have been continually reduced, whilst their performance and convenience has been increased. In the case of domestic washing machines, the water consumption has been reduced by 42.4% since 1990, whilst the electricity consumption has been reduced by 29.2 %. All Miele washing machines and dishwashers across the globe have the energy-effi ciency category A. Over 95 % of refrigeration devices are classified with A, A+ or A++. Miele has thus been fulfilling the EU “Eco Design Requirements for EUP” directive, which regulates the integration of environmental aspects into the design of energy-driven products, for years. The avoidance strategy concerning toxic materials obviates environmental problems before relevant laws are brought into effect. Many toxic substances have never been used by Miele, or have been replaced years before they were banned. In cooperation with suppliers, Miele has ensured that all products brought into the market since 1st July 2006 have been in accordance with the specifications of the EU RoHS directive. The materials used are generally recognised as safe for later re-use. Miele manufactures approximately 70% of all plastic parts itself. They are mainly made from materials generally considered as physiologically safe, like acrylnitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyethylene or polypropylene. The high levels of metal used – e.g. over 85 % in washing machines – is a guarantee for a conservation of natural resources, as metals have excellent recycling properties.
Each year more than seven percent of the annual turnover – 150 million euros in 2007 – is invested in research and development.
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Awards
Stiftung Warentest:
In 2007, the German product test foundation awarded six Miele appliances as the “Best Appliance in the Test”. International product tests also confirm this.
Eco Top Ten
In its consumer information campaign “Eco Top Ten”, released in 2006, the independent Öko-Institut e.V. quoted Miele appliances as being particularly economical and environmentally-friendly.
Challenges and Targets
Miele is constantly required to recognise cological and societal trends early on and to treat them accordingly so that it can remain the leading premium manufacturer of domestic appliances.
In view of the ever-increasing lack of resources, Miele is striving to create further energy savings in its appliances. One target is to reduce the electricity consumption of washing machines to under 0.17 kWh/kg dry laundry by 2009. Tumble dryers with heat pump technology are about to be launched. Alongside the reduction of noise emissions, Miele is also trying to achieve an even more effi cient usage of detergents in washing machines and dishwashers.
Furthermore, future changes to consumer’s needs, e.g. through the ageing of society, will mean that new paths will have to be trodden in product design. Miele is already working in line with the concept of “Universal Design” today. This includes automatic functions that can be used by inexperienced users or people with handicaps, as well as sensor-managed programmes that, in the case of dishwashers for example, automatically recognise the dishes’ level of soiling and treats them accordingly.
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