Zenbara

Zenbara (also called teardown) means 'dismantling'. It is the principle of taking a product to pieces, bit by bit and examining each part in great detail.

It is useful for several situations:

• It is during the research and development phase and dismantling a product that has been used for some time will show how it is wearing, developing hot spots, etc.

• During manufacturing, samples may be taken apart to check that they have been assembled exactly right.

• A product has failed unexpectedly and requires careful analysis to find the failure and its root cause.

• A competitor has produced a strong product. Zenbara leads to understanding of how they did it and uncovers the underlying design and principles which, when understood, can be imitated and improved upon.

See also: