The Best Part is No Part
An important design principle applied at Tesla and SpaceX
Posted by
Steven MachtelinckxUse our
The idea
A crucial principle at Tesla is to keep all designs as simple as possible. Elon Musk has a saying for this: "The best part is no part".
There is a lot behind this idea. A part that doesn't exist:
- requires no procurement
- requires no assembly
- requires no repairs
- does not become a dependency to other parts during any of these stages, so ultimately it cannot block the production of products.
The ability to include fewer parts simplifies the design, reduces manufacturing time and ultimately reduces cost, which is an essential step in lowering consumer prices.
In practice
For humans, it isn't easy to apply this step. It's all too easy to fall into a trap like: "I'll design it this way because that's how everyone is doing it". Much like anything, it is easy to make or explain something complicated, but it's much more challenging to make or explain something complex in an easy-to-understand way.
There's always a probability that unnecessary parts slip in. Therefore, Tesla and SpaceX constantly look for ways to delete parts. They'll delete parts until the design breaks and then add again just as many parts as needed to make it work again. Their motto is: "You are not deleting enough parts if you didn't put 10% of the deleted parts back in."
This principle also applies to processes and sounds: "The best process is no process".
The 5-step design process
This principle is part of a five-step process.
- Make requirements less dumb.
- Delete parts and processes.
- Simplify or optimise.
- Accellerate cycle time.
- Automate.
Notice that this principle is listed in second place, which means it is fundamental. Any failure to delete parts and processes at step 2 will impact the subsequent steps: we may not be able to simplify as much, we may not be able to accelerate cycle time as much, or automation will become more complex. On the other hand, every success in deleting parts at step 2 can have a significant impact on the next steps.
Elon Musk articulated this principle during a tour with Everyday astronaut at the Starbase facility in Texas. A snippet of the video: