When a car breaks down, the solution has traditionally been to repair it. Repair manuals, experienced mechanics and auto parts dealers make car repairs common, fast and relatively inexpensive. Even modern, computer-equipped vehicles have a lot to do with normal people: changing oil, changing tires, and many other advanced enhancements.
But when a computer or a smartphone breaks down, it's difficult to fix the problem, and more often the broken device is thrown away. Even small electronic devices can cause a huge amount of electronic waste - between 20 million and 50 million tons of electrical appliances per year worldwide. Part of this waste is recycled, but most - including components containing lead and mercury - are dumped in landfills.
Larger devices can be just as difficult to repair. Today's farmers are often unable to repair the computers on which their tractors are running, as manufacturers claim that farmers do not own them. Companies argue that special software used to run tractors and other machines is protected by copyright and patent laws. Granting farmers access to them would violate the intellectual property rights of companies.
The right of the users to repair their own objects or to pay others for it is endangered. However, in our product lifecycle surveys and research, my colleagues and I have found that providing support for those who want to repair and reuse their defective equipment can bring benefits - including benefits - to electronics manufacturers.
A corporate conflict
At least eight states-Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Tennessee-are considering laws that oblige companies to have their defective electronics repaired by customers. The proposals usually cause manufacturers to sell parts, publish repair manuals and provide diagnostic tools, such as: B. Scanning devices that identify sources of error. In an encouraging move, the US Copyright Office suggested in June that similar rules should apply nationwide. And the US Supreme Court recently ruled that corporate patent rights do not prevent people from selling their electronics privately.
On the one hand, these regulations present a difficult task for the manufacturing companies. Manufacturers can make a lot of money selling authorized parts and service. However, to remain competitive, they must constantly innovate and develop new products. To keep costs down, they can not forever make and store parts for old and outdated equipment. This leads to the so-called "planned obsolescence", the principle that a company designs its articles with relatively short useful lives, which ends approximately at the time when a new version of the product comes out.
However, our research suggests that companies can take a different approach - designing and manufacturing products that can be refurbished and repaired for reuse - while strengthening customer loyalty and brand awareness. When analyzing interviews with hobbyists and the repair industry, we also found that there are obstacles, such as: These include the lack of repair manuals and spare parts that can hinder and improve the growth of the repair industry.
CAlthough machines and equipment have become less mechanical and electronic, we expect that customers will continue to be able to repair and reuse the electronic products they have purchased. When manufacturers support this expectation by offering repair manuals, replacement parts, and other instructions for repairing their products, they build customer loyalty.
In particular, we have found that customers are more likely to buy additional products from this manufacturer and recommend this manufacturer product to friends. The math here is simple: more customers using a company's products, whether they are new or still in the marketplace after many years, mean more money for the company.
Our research also shows that the failure of most electronic devices is due to simple accidents such as falling or spilling water. The most common problem is a broken screen. There are also other problems - such as Batteries that no longer hold their charge, or printed circuit boards that just do not work anymore.
Simple repairs do not require much work or many tools. arrowsmith2 / Shutterstock.com
Even non-technical users often want to pay someone to clean their devices and replace parts like damaged screens and old batteries. If manufacturers give access to spare parts, more damaged parts could be repaired, which adds to their usefulness. Apple could seize an opportunity here: It's just started to assemble older iPhone models in India, meaning that parts are still being made that can repair other devices they already have.
Helping consumers, businesses and the environment
Technology manufacturers should take action to promote their customers' right to repair their defective equipment, which helps reduce electronic waste and strengthen brand loyalty. If this is not the case, laws and regulations can help.
For example, in France, a 2015 law requires manufacturers to tell customers how long spare parts are available before buying an item. So consumers can decide how much they want to include in the purchase decision for something new in the repair option.
Support for repair rights can not only bring economic benefits to the technology sector. In 1998, there were 4,623 consumer electronics repair and maintenance companies in the US. By 2015, this number had dropped to 2,072. Independent vendors are creating online marketplaces where users can buy and sell used and repaired equipment. Other companies, such as iFixit and Repair Cafe, are creating networks of people who exchange information to repair electronics and even bring together groups of people in person to work on their devices.
In the meantime, making spare parts for older devices through 3D printing is getting easier and cheaper.
However, businesses should not fear that people take too much in their hands: While it has been possible for some years to print and mount entire computers in 3D, they are not very good. The likelihood of buying company equipment is much higher. They only want to be able to repair them if they break.onsumers want to repair their equipment
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