Hermeneutics framework: integration of design rationale and optimizing software modules

To tackle the evolution challenges of adaptive systems, this paper argues on the necessity of hermeneutic approaches that help to avoid too early elimination of design alternatives. This visionary paper proposes the Hermeneutics Framework, which computationally integrates a design rationale management system, an auto-adaptive control system and a reflective and modular event-driven language runtime together. The Hermeneutics Framework is, among others, suitable for implementing dynamic adaptive software systems that undergo intensive evolution cycles

Proceedings of the ECCS 2005 satellite workshop: embracing complexity in design - Paris 17 November 2005

Embracing complexity in design is one of the critical issues and challenges of the 21st century. As the realization grows that design activities and artefacts display properties associated with complex adaptive systems, so grows the need to use complexity concepts and methods to understand these properties and inform the design of better artifacts. It is a great challenge because complexity science represents an epistemological and methodological swift that promises a holistic approach in the understanding and operational support of design. But design is also a major contributor in complexity research. Design science is concerned with problems that are fundamental in the sciences in general and complexity sciences in particular. For instance, design has been perceived and studied as a ubiquitous activity inherent in every human activity, as the art of generating hypotheses, as a type of experiment, or as a creative co-evolutionary process. Design science and its established approaches and practices can be a great source for advancement and innovation in complexity science. These proceedings are the result of a workshop organized as part of the activities of a UK government AHRB/EPSRC funded research cluster called Embracing Complexity in Design (www.complexityanddesign.net) and the European Conference in Complex Systems (complexsystems.lri.fr). Embracing complexity in design is one of the critical issues and challenges of the 21st century. As the realization grows that design activities and artefacts display properties associated with complex adaptive systems, so grows the need to use complexity concepts and methods to understand these properties and inform the design of better artifacts. It is a great challenge because complexity science represents an epistemological and methodological swift that promises a holistic approach in the understanding and operational support of design. But design is also a major contributor in complexity research. Design science is concerned with problems that are fundamental in the sciences in general and complexity sciences in particular. For instance, design has been perceived and studied as a ubiquitous activity inherent in every human activity, as the art of generating hypotheses, as a type of experiment, or as a creative co-evolutionary process. Design science and its established approaches and practices can be a great source for advancement and innovation in complexity science. These proceedings are the result of a workshop organized as part of the activities of a UK government AHRB/EPSRC funded research cluster called Embracing Complexity in Design (www.complexityanddesign.net) and the European Conference in Complex Systems (complexsystems.lri.fr)

Component-based records: a novel method to record transaction design work

The growing pressures from global competitive markets signal the inevitable challenge for companies to rapidly design and develop new successful products. To continually improve design quality and efficiency, companies must consider how to speed design processes, minimise human-errors, avoid unnecessary iterations, and sustain knowledge embedded in the design process. All of these issues strongly concern one topic: how to make and exploit records of design activities. Using process modelling ideas, this paper introduces a new method called component-based records, in place of traditional design reports. The proposed method records transaction elements of the actual design processes undertaken in a design episode, which aims to continually improve design quality and efficiency, reduce designers’ workload for routine tasks, and sustain competitiveness of companies

USEFUL MEASURES OF COMPLEXITY: A MODEL OF ASSESSING DEGREE OF COMPLEXITY IN ENGINEERED SYSTEMS AND ENGINEERING PROJECTS

Many modern systems are very complex, a reality which can affect their safety and reliability of operations. Systems engineers need new ways to measure problem complexity. This research lays the groundwork for measuring the complexity of systems engineering (SE) projects. This research proposes a project complexity measurement model (PCMM) and associated methods to measure complexity. To develop the PCMM, we analyze four major types of complexity (structural complexity, temporal complexity, organizational complexity, and technological complexity) and define a set of complexity metrics. Through a survey of engineering projects, we also develop project profiles for three types of software projects typically used in the U.S. Navy to provide empirical evidence for the PCMM. The results of our work on these projects show that as a project increases in complexity, the more difficult and expensive it is for a project to meet all requirements and schedules because of changing interactions and dynamics among the project participants and stakeholders. The three projects reveal reduction of project complexity by setting a priority and a baseline in requirements and project scope, concentrating on the expected deliverable, strengthening familiarity of the systems engineering process, eliminating redundant processes, and clarifying organizational roles and decision-making processes to best serve the project teams while also streamlining on business processes and information systems.Civilian, Department of the NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

The impact of platform based product variety on product family performance : examining the mediational roles of new product development proficiencies and structural features

In order to satisfy heterogeneous and unstable consumer demands, firms increasingly leverage product development efficiencies by adopting a platform approach, based on cross-sharing of resources, for developing and introducing product variants, constituting a product family. Although the benefits and costs of utilising platform-based product development to increase product variety have been addressed by previous research, there has been little empirical work focusing on the managerial factors that enable firms to successfully develop new products that extend the product family. The current study addressesth e gap in our understandingo f the relationships between a firm's product variety strategy, new product development (NPD) proficiencies and structural features, and product family performance. The current study's findings are based on data collected from a sample of one hundred South-Korean manufacturers in a wide range of assembling industries. When firms expand platform-based product variety, superior predevelopment planning proficiencies in platform projects are essential for securing all dimensions of product family performance (i. e., operational/technical performance, profitability, and market share/sales)P. roduct family successi s also conditional upon highly proficient execution of marketing activities (business and market opportunity analysis and planning, and commercialisation) in both platform and derivative projects. The findings of this research stress the primacy of predevelopment planning and marketing capabilities. In addition, the findings of this research stress specific structural mechanisms (e. g., spatial proximity, formalisation, and organisational modularity), as drivers of product family performance. This study contributes to the understanding of inter-relationship between platform-based product variety, NPD proficiencies and structural features, and product family performance. This study can act as a guide to further studies of platform-based product development, as well as being useful to practitioners who develop product families.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo