Graduation: Design for Excellence

Graduation: Design for Excellence

Assignment type: Graduation

Start date: September 2025

Assignment Duration: 6 months

Desired Study: Industrial engineering, Supply Chain Management, Econometrics or related

Language: English / Dutch

Assignment
This graduation assignment focuses on supporting a DfX project aimed at standardizing and incorporating sustainability across a specific product or sourcing category within Vanderlande. Given the extensive variety of components and products, the project prioritizes variety reduction and enhances sustainability as a key criterion for the company and its customers. The overarching objective is to optimize product variants to achieve cost competitiveness and support Vanderlande's sustainability goals in its projects.

Department

DfX is a strategic team within Vanderlande's Global Supply Chain center, focused on applying cross-functional methodologies to improve product and process design. This approach aims for comprehensive cost-effectiveness and efficiency, ensuring products are right the first time. As Vanderlande transitions from an Engineering to Order (ETO) to a Configure to Order (CTO) model, the DfX methodology facilitates standardization across both company-designed and third-party components, enhancing value, quality, and price competitiveness. This standardization supports Vanderlande's delivery of leading solutions in Parcel, Airports, and Warehousing sectors.

Your responsibilities

• Investigate how frequently certain components are chosen in the standard configurations of various functional modules within Vanderlande, and analyze the factors influencing these choices
• Assess the current variation in product components and strategize how to reduce the number of variants without affecting Vanderlande's market share or compromising functional requirements
• Explore cost reduction opportunities by considering the use of alternative materials or adjustments to functional requirements
• Integrate Vanderlande's sustainability strategy to aid in the selection of product variants
• Identify and utilize discrimination factors that can facilitate the reduction of component variants. The approach and focus of the assignment may be tailored to align with the candidate’s technical expertise or operational/logistical skills, based on their background and interests

Your profile

• Strong data analytical skills
• Knowledge of supply chain/sourcing processes and tools is preferred
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to support in stakeholder management
• Ability to work independently
• Mandatory enrolment in a Dutch Education System and resident of The Netherlands

"This project is a great opportunity to apply your skills in a real-world setting and contribute to our sustainability goals." John Doe, Project Manager