Renault Group details Design-to-Cost strategy for cost-effective innovation

Design-to-Cost is a process that optimizes development and production costs from the earliest design phases through the entire project. It aims to balance performance, quality, and cost while meeting budget targets defined in the business plan. At Renault Group, this approach begins even before the first prototype is built, involving upstream market research, product positioning, and customer expectations to define a clear technical and economic trajectory.

The USFTs (Upstream Strategy Functional Teams) are central to Renault's Design-to-Cost ecosystem. These cross-functional teams bring together Engineering, Purchasing, and Costing specialists who work continuously, analyzing competitors, monitoring technological developments, and defining component strategies. By involving teams early, the company can modify components before tooling or production lines are set, reducing costs and enabling breakthroughs through co-development with suppliers.