I keep collapsing subassemblies and switching to snap fits to cut SKUs and cycle time, and the contract manufacturer keeps asking for more screws and inserts because “tooling risk.” How are you getting buy-in for DFM changes that make the product easier to build without the BOM creeping back up?
I turn it into a structured trial: soft-tool the snap fit or 3D-print inserts, run pull/creep/cycle tests and a 50–100 unit pilot to get Cpk, yield, and takt data, with a pre-agreed gate that if it passes we drop the screws, if not we fall back to pre-bossed hardware via ECO. Pair it with a simple labor-vs-hardware cost model and a small scrap/tooling-change contingency the CM can book, and they usually buy in because the risk and off-ramp are explicit.