DesignChain: Process Automation From Recording Of Customer Requirements To Production Release

Growing price pressure due to an increasing number of global suppliers, increasing individualization of products and ever-shorter development cycles are challenges facing the engineering industry. In this context, mass personalization represents the customized production of customer products with batch size one at the low unit costs of mass production. The possibilities of digitalization and automation of technical order processing open up the opportunity for companies to significantly reduce their complexity costs and lead times and thus increase their competitiveness. Many companies already use a range of simulation tools and configuration solutions but only as stand-alones. Often, the expert knowledge of employees is hidden in "knowledge silos" and is rarely networked across processes. The concept "DesignChain" will address these challenges by automating and digitalizing technical process planning from recording customer requirements to releasing a product to the shop floor. Configurators within DesignChain allow for mapping variant-rich products. This transformation of customer requirements into product properties makes it possible to generate even complex CAD models, such as models for large-scale equipment based on specific rules. An automated CAx chain will help to digitally transfer production-relevant documents to the shop floor for parts fabrication. This process, which can be fully automated, allows for the customized creation of variants based on current approval statuses

How to scope configuration projects and manage the knowledge they require

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the use of the knowledge management (KM) perspective for configuration projects. Configuration projects implement configurators as information technology systems that help companies manage the specification process of customised products. An effective method of retrieving and formalising knowledge for configurators is essential, because it can reduce the risk of unsuccessful implementation and the time and effort required for development. Unfortunately, no standard KM frameworks are available specifically for configuration projects. This study identifies the knowledge necessary for different phases of a configuration project (which knowledge, for what purpose and from what sources), examines how it is transformed during a configuration project (what KM activities and tools are used) and establishes how the knowledge can be documented for future maintenance and updates. Design/methodology/approach: This paper proposes a four-step framework for making the KM process more efficient in configuration projects. The framework is based on the literature, developed in collaboration with industrial partners and tested on four configuration projects in two engineering companies. The framework is a structured KM approach designed to save time for both domain experts and the configuration team. The authors have used a qualitative exploratory design based on multiple data sources: documentation, workshops and participant observation. Findings: The proposed framework comprises four steps: determination of the system\u2019s scope, to establish the project\u2019s goal based on stakeholders\u2019 requirements and prioritise the required products and processes; knowledge acquisition, to classify the knowledge according to the desired output and identify different knowledge sources; modelling and knowledge validation; and documentation and maintenance, to ensure that the KM system can be maintained and updated in the future. Research limitations/implications: Because the framework is tested on a limited number of cases, its generalisability may be limited. However, focusing on a few case applications allows us to assess the effectiveness of the framework in detail and in depth to identify the practical challenges of applying it. The results of the tests support the framework\u2019s validity. Although the framework is designed mainly for engineering companies, other industries could benefit from using it as well. Practical implications: The individual steps of the framework create a structured approach for the KM process. Thus, the approach can save both time and resources for companies, without the need for additional investment. Originality/value: A standard framework is lacking in the literature on KM for configuration projects. This study fills that gap by developing a KM framework for configuration projects, based on KM frameworks developed for IT projects, and KM tools

Effective product assortment communication: overcoming the "product variety paradox" on the net

When a firm offers customized products, variants and options may end up confusing the customer, instead of increasing sales. Recent developments in Information and Communication Technology made available a class of software products, often termed as "product configurators", which appears to offer new solutions to support the sale of customized products. The present paper analyzes the underlying principles on which successful sales configurators have been built. In doing so, the paper attempts a formalization of the mechanisms through which a firm´s product assortment can be efficiently and effectively presented to the customer.e-commerce, Product Variety, Product configuration, Customization