Technique 6.25 Task Unification
Assign a new task to an existing feature of the product or its environment, thereby unifying 2 tasks into a single component, ie bundling of tasks. For example, the defrosting filament in an automobile windscreen was assigned an extra task of enhancing radio reception, which obviated the need for a separate radio antenna. Similar examples are the suitcase with wheels, and the printing of assembly instructions on the packing case rather than a separate sheet inside the packing case.
Task unification is used when the aim is to control costs, ie encourages the most efficient use of existing resources.