3 research outputs found
A Company-led Methodology for the Specification of Product Design Capabilities in Small and Medium Sized Electronics Companies
It is the aim of the research reported in this thesis to improve the product design
effectiveness of small and medium sized electronics companies in the United Kingdom. It
does so by presenting a methodology for use by such firms which will enable them to
specify product design capabilities which are resilient to changes in their respective
business environments. The research has not, however, concerned itself with the details of
particular electronics component technologies or with the advantages of various CAD or
CAE products, although these are both important aspects of any design capability. Nor is it
concerned with the implementation of the product design capability. The methodology,
which represents a significant improvement on current practice, is a structured,
company-driven approach which draws extensively upon the lessons of international
design best practice. It uses well-proven tools and techniques to guide firms through the
entire process of creating such capabilities - from the development of an appropriate
Mission Statement to the identification of cost effective and appropriate design system
solutions which can readily be translated into action plans for improvement. The work
emphasises the importance of adopting a holistic, systems approach which acknowledges
the interrelationship between the management of the design process, as well as its
operational and supporting activities.
The research has been structured around the experiences of companies which have
implemented electronics design systems and which "own" the problem in question. Hence,
a research strategy was adopted which was based upon a case study approach and upon the
development of close collaborative links with two leading design automation tool vendor
companies. Case study interviews were undertaken in 18 U.K. and European electronics
companies and in 11 U.S., Japanese and Korean electronics firms. The work proceeded in
two distinct phases. Firstly, the author participated with other researchers to jointly develop
a functional specification of an electronics designers' toolset to support the process of
product design in an integrated manufacturing environment. The first phase provided the
context for Phase 2, the development of the AGILITY methodology for specifying product
design capabilities which represents the author's individual contribution.
The contribution to knowledge made by the research lies in the creation of a process
methodology which, for the first time, will help U.K. electronics companies to define for
themselves product design capabilities which are robust and which support their wider
business objectives. No such methodology is currently available in a form which is both
accessible and affordable to smaller firms. Furthermore, the author has uncovered no
evidence of the existence of such a methodology even for use by large electronics firms.
Validation of the methodology is subject to an ongoing process of feedback.Racal Redac Lt
A Specification For A Next Generation Cad Toolkit For Electronics Product Design
Electronic engineering product design is a complex process which has enjoyed an
increasing provision of computer based tools since the early 1980's. Over this period
computer aided design tool development has progressed at such a pace that new features
and functions have tended to be market driven. As such CAD tools have not been developed
through the recommended practise of defining a functional specification prior to any
software code generation.
This thesis defines a new functional specification for next generation CAD tools to support
the electronics product design process. It is synthesized from a review of the use of
computers in the electronics product design process, from a case study of Best Practices
prevalent in a wide range of electronics companies and from a new model of the design
process. The model and the best practices have given rise to a new concept for company
engineering documentation, the Product Book which provides a logical framework for
constraining CAD tools and their users (designers) as means of controlling costs in the
design process.
This specification differs from current perceptions of computer functionality in the CAD
tool industry by addressing human needs together with company needs of computer
supported design, rather than just providing more technological support for the designer in
isolation.Racal Reda