Process Standardization to Support Service Process Assessment and Re-engineering

AbstractService Engineering (SE) discipline is currently supporting companies during the engineering and re-engineering phases of their service offering. With the support of SE methods, companies can undertake their servitization journey with the best premise to gain as well as deliver value to their customers. For this purpose, the Service Engineering Methodology (SEEM) has been proposed. The SEEM entails methods to design service concepts and processes capable of balancing value between customers and the company. Some industrial cases, carried out in collaboration with ABB, a leading provider in power and automation technology, demonstrate the effectiveness of such methodology in the re-engineering of existing services in B2B context. Despite that, the cases show that the SEEM application is time consuming, especially in the validation of the service provision process. Thus, in order to facilitate and speed up the implementation of the methodology, a standard process for service provision becomes relevant. Then, starting from the re-engineering of the existing product-oriented services offered by ABB, this paper aims at laying the foundation for the definition of a reference model and a standard process model for product-oriented service delivery. The results will support the SEEM adoption and the definition of service processes avoiding the design of customized models, that cannot be compared and adapted to different realities. In line with what has been found in literature, the definition of a possible reference model and a preliminary standard process model are presented

An integrated product and process information modelling system for on-site construction

The inadequate infrastructure that exists for seamless project team communications has its roots in the problems arising from fragmentation, and the lack of effective co-ordination between stages of the construction process. The use of disparate computer-aided engineering (CAE) systems by most disciplines is one of the enduring legacies of this problem and makes information exchange between construction team members difficult and, in some cases, impossible. The importance of integrating modelling techniques with a view to creating an integrated product and process model that is applicable to all stages of a construction project's life cycle, is being recognised by the Construction Industry. However, improved methods are still needed to assist the developer in the definition of information model structures, and current modelling methods and standards are only able to provide limited assistance at various stages of the information modelling process. This research investigates the role of system integration by reviewing product and process information models, current modelling practices and modelling standards in the construction industry, and draws conclusions with similar practices from other industries, both in terms of product and process representation, and model content. It further reviews various application development tools and information system requirements to support a suitable integrated information structure, for developing an integrated product and process model for design and construction, based on concurrent engineering principles. The functional and information perspectives of the integrated model, which were represented using IDEFO and the unified modelling language (UML), provided the basis for developing a prototype hyper-integrated product and process information modelling system (HIPPY). Details of the integrated conceptual model's implementation, practical application of the prototype system, using house-building as an example, and evaluation by industry practitioners are also presented. It is concluded that the effective integration of product and process information models is a key component of the implementation of concurrent engineering in construction, and is a vital step towards providing richer information representation, better efficiency, and the flexibility to support life cycle information management during the construction stage of small to medium sized-building projects

Una aplicación educacional para el diseño de productos y sistemas de ingeniería utilizando modelos conceptuales integrados

[ES] This article describes the use and application of a new methodology that has been developed for the conceptual design of new products, which emphasizes those innovating characteristics in design processes, thus fostering creative development. This is a dynamic model based on a cyclic thought that keeps the prescriptions that have been applied or decided without restrain by the designer. It comprises a broad range of disjointing and development degrees regarding their definition, while making it possible to record information during the whole process. Its application and further analysis for product conceptual development, such as their use in research works makes it feasible to undertake fundamental issues with respect to design and to have them transferred as the design own characteristics. Likewise, a teaching practice where the design has been used in engineering is shown, along with the outcomes that have been achieved. This model was applied in two groups of students who had some experience in product design. The model has assumed timing decrease, which in turn brought about results when compared with previous years. The use of this model manages knowledge on a separate fashion while using drawings as a representative synthesis, based on theoretical models that make up the product theoretical features according to the objectives that had been established. This model can be used as a guideline, since it completely states working patterns and, therefore, providing greater benefits, since in besides guiding students/designers in its application, it also implies an organized and structured manner of information gathering, thus making the suggested product further introduction and reasoning easier[EN] This article describes the use and application of a new methodology that has been developed for the conceptual design of new products, which emphasizes those innovating characteristics in design processes, thus fostering creative development. This is a dynamic model based on a cyclic thought that keeps the prescriptions that have been applied or decided without restrain by the designer. It comprises a broad range of disjointing and development degrees regarding their definition, while making it possible to record information during the whole process. Its application and further analysis for product conceptual development, such as their use in research works makes it feasible to undertake fundamental issues with respect to design and to have them transferred as the design own characteristics. Likewise, a teaching practice where the design has been used in engineering is shown, along with the outcomes that have been achieved. This model was applied in two groups of students who had some experience in product design. The model has assumed timing decrease, which in turn brought about results when compared with previous years. The use of this model manages knowledge on a separate fashion while using drawings as a representative synthesis, based on theoretical models that make up the product theoretical features according to the objectives that had been established. This model can be used as a guideline, since it completely states working patterns and, therefore, providing greater benefits, since in besides guiding students/designers in its application, it also implies an organized and structured manner of information gathering, thus making the suggested product further introduction and reasoning easierHernandis Ortuño, B.; Briede Westermeyer, JC. (2009). An Educatonal Application for a Product design and Engineering systems using integrated conceptual models. Ingeniare. Revista chilena de ingeniería (Online). 17(3):432-442. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/136475S43244217

Efficiency improvement of product definition and verification through Product Lifecycle Management

The correct and complete geometrical definition of a product is nowadays a critical activity for most companies. To solve this problem, ISO has launched the GPS, Geometrical Product Specifications and Verification, with the goal of consistently and completely describe the geometric characteristics of the products. With this project, it is possible to define a language of communication between the various stages of the product lifecycle based on "operators": these are an ordered set of mathematical operations used for the definition of the products. However, these theoretical and mathematical concepts require a level of detail and completeness of the information hardly used in usual industrial activities. Consequently in industrial practice the definition and verification of products appears to be a slow process, error-prone and difficult to control. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is the activity of managing the company's products throughout their lifecycle in the most efficient way. PLM describes the engineering aspects of the products, ensuring the integrity of product definition, the automatic update of the product information and then aiding the product to fulfil with international standards. Despite all these benefits, the concepts of PLM are not yet fully understood in industry and they are difficult to implement for SME's. A first objective of this research is to develop a model to depict and understand processes. This representation is used as a tool during the application of a case study of a whole set of a GPS standards for one type of tolerance. This procedure allows the introduction of the GPS principles and facilitates its implementation within a PLM process. Until now, PLM is presented on isolated aspects without the necessary holistic approach. Furthermore, industry needs people able to operate in PLM context, professional profiles that are not common on the market. There is therefore an educational problem; besides the technical knowledge, the new profile of engineers must be also familiar with the PLM philosophy and instruments to work effectively in a team. With the aim of solving this problem, this thesis presents a PLM solution that gives the guidelines for a correct understanding of these topic

A systems engineering methodology for fuel efficiency and its application to a tactical wheeled vehicle demonstrator

Thesis (S.M. in System Design and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-112).The U.S. Department of Defense faces growing fuel demand, resulting in increasing costs and compromised operational capability. In response to this issue, the Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (FED) program was initiated in order to demonstrate a tactical vehicle with significantly greater fuel efficiency than a Humvee while maintaining capability. An additional focus of the program was the exposure of systems engineering practices and methodologies to government engineers. This document provides an overview of a systems engineering methodology for maximizing fuel efficiency and its application in concept development for the FED program. The methodology is organized into a phased process, comprising definition of operational requirements, modeling of design alternatives, analysis of design space, development of product concepts, and prototype verification. Tools and methods used included requirements tradespace definition, provisional baseline product models, decomposition of energy expenditure over the product usage cycle, structured technology market surveys inclusive of lead users, surrogate model-based simulation tools, and design space exploration / Pareto optimization. Object-Process Methodology (OPM) is used within the document to illustrate process elements and their relationships. A key element of the methodology is the intensive use of modeling and simulation to enable data driven decision making. In particular, neural network-based surrogate models of engineering code allow the evaluation of thousands of feasible design configurations. It is intended that this rigorous framework is applicable to the improvement of any attribute of any product system.by Paul Luskin.S.M.in System Design and Managemen

On the application of model-based definition strategies to the delivery of technical training

ASME 2017 12th International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC2017). June 4-8, 2017, Los Angeles, CA, USAThe application of computer technology to engineering and manufacturing domains has drastically transformed the way products and systems are designed and produced. However, a major drawback of CAD/CAM/CAE systems is the steep learning curve required to understand and master their extensive and increasingly complex set of functionalities. In this paper, we present a new approach to deliver CAD training materials that is inspired by Model-Based Definition (MDB) strategies, where annotated 3D models become the center of the training process. In our system, textual 3D annotations are connected to a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system to provide access to interactive video tutorials which are linked to specific features of a CAD model. As a proof of concerto to validate this approach, a plugin for a commercial CAD package was developed that enhances the functionality of standard 3D annotation mechanisms and enables users to interact with the technical training materials directly within the CAD interface. New data structures were implemented to support the connection and integration with PLM systems. A group of tutorials are described to illustrate the system architecture and implementation details

Integrated product relationships management : a model to enable concurrent product design and assembly sequence planning

The paper describes a novel approach to product relationships management in the context of concurrent engineering and product lifecycle management (PLM). Current industrial practices in product data management and manufacturing process management systems require better efficiency, flexibility, and sensitivity in managing product information at various levels of abstraction throughout its lifecycle. The aim of the proposed work is to manage vital yet complex and inherent product relationship information to enable concurrent product design and assembly sequence planning. Indeed, the definition of the product with its assembly sequence requires the management and the understanding of the numerous product relationships, ensuring consistency between the product and its components. This main objective stresses the relational design paradigm by focusing on product relationships along its lifecycle. This paper gives the detailed description of the background and models which highlight the need for a more efficient PLM approach. The proposed theoretical approach is then described in detail. A separate paper will focus on the implementation of the proposed approach in a PLM-based application, and an in-depth case study to evaluate the implementation of the novel approach will also be given

Supporting 'design for reuse' with modular design

Engineering design reuse refers to the utilization of any knowledge gained from the design activity to support future design. As such, engineering design reuse approaches are concerned with the support, exploration, and enhancement of design knowledge prior, during, and after a design activity. Modular design is a product structuring principle whereby products are developed with distinct modules for rapid product development, efficient upgrades, and possible reuse (of the physical modules). The benefits of modular design center on a greater capacity for structuring component parts to better manage the relation between market requirements and the designed product. This study explores the capabilities of modular design principles to provide improved support for the engineering design reuse concept. The correlations between modular design and 'reuse' are highlighted, with the aim of identifying its potential to aid the little-supported process of design for reuse. In fulfilment of this objective the authors not only identify the requirements of design for reuse, but also propose how modular design principles can be extended to support design for reuse