Redesign of technical systems

The paper describes a systematic approach to support the redesign process. Redesign is the adaptation of a technical system in order to meet new specifications. The approach presented is based on techniques developed in model-based diagnosis research. The essence of the approach is to find the part of the system which causes the discrepancy between a formal specification of the system to be designed and the description of the existing technical system. Furthermore, new specifications are generated, describing the new behaviour for the `faulty¿ part. These specifications guide the actual design of this part. Both the specification and design description are based on YMIR, an ontology for structuring engineering design knowledge

Taking It to the Street: How Roadway Design Helped Shape a Neighborhood's Development

Summarizes lessons learned during the process of planning the redesign of one of the region's most historic corridors in Minneapolis -- Lake Street -- and illustrates how roadway design can help shape a neighborhood's development

Optimizing the Safety Margins Governing a Deterministic Design Process while Considering the Effects of a Future Test and Redesign on Epistemic Model Uncertainty

At the initial design stage, engineers often rely on low-fidelity models that have high uncertainty. Model uncertainty is reducible and is classified as epistemic uncertainty; uncertainty due to variability is irreducible and classified as aleatory uncertainty. In a deterministic safety-margin-based design approach, uncertainty is implicitly compensated for by using fixed conservative values in place of aleatory variables and ensuring the design satisfies a safety-margin with respect to design constraints. After an initial design is selected, testing (e.g. physical experiment or high-fidelity simulation) is performed to reduce epistemic uncertainty and ensure the design achieves the targeted levels of safety. Testing is used to calibrate low-fidelity models and prescribe redesign when tests are not passed. After calibration, reduced epistemic model uncertainty can be leveraged through redesign to restore safety or improve design performance; however, redesign may be associated with substantial costs or delays. In this work, the possible effects of a future test and redesign are considered while the initial design is optimized using only a low-fidelity model. The goal is to develop a general method for the integrated optimization of the design, testing, and redesign process that allows for the tradeoff between the risk of future redesign and the associated performance and reliability benefits. This is accomplished by formulating the design, testing, and redesign process in terms of safety-margins and optimizing these margins based on expected performance, expected probability of failure, and probability of redesign. The first objective of this study is to determine how the degree of conservativeness in the initial design relates to the expected design performance after a test and possible redesign. The second objective is to develop a general method for modeling epistemic model uncertainty and calibration when simulating a possible future test and redesign. The third objective is to apply the method of simulating a future test and redesign to a sounding rocket design example

VSS : a VHDL synthesis system

This report describes a register transfer synthesis system that allows a designer to interact with the design process. The designer can modify the compiled design by changing the input description, selecting optimization and mapping strategies, or graphically changing the generated design schematic. The VHDL language is used for input and output descriptions. An intermediate representation which incorporates signal typing and component attributes simplifies compilation and facilitates design optimization. The compilation process consists of two phases. First, a design composed of generic components is synthesized from the input description. Second, this design is translated into components from a particular library by a mapper and optimized by a logic optimizer. Redesign to new technologies can be accomplished by changing only the component library

Next Steps in Discovery Implementation: User‐Centered Discovery System Redesign

This paper will discuss a discovery system redesign project at the University of Houston Libraries, and in particular the Discovery Redesign Team’s collaborative, user‐centered approach. Throughout the redesign process, the team collected information about the needs and expectations of internal and external users regarding the Library’s discovery system. The team worked with two internal working groups to gather and evaluate the collected information. The results of this evaluation were used to make user‐centered design decisions. The Discovery Redesign Team worked with the Discovery Advisory Group, made up of library employees from various departments, to seek feedback and suggestions throughout the redesign process. Working collaboratively with this Group informed design decisions made by the team while also generating buy‐in for the discovery redesign. The team worked with the Discovery Usability Group to collect information from end‐users to inform the Team’s design decisions. The Committee held focus groups with the Library Information Desk staff to learn how the discovery system was serving users, and where it was falling short; they conducted usability tests with students to find out where users were experiencing breakdowns while completing common tasks. The methodologies and findings of the team’s various activities will be discussed. Changes to system interfaces affect both internal and external users. The University of Houston’s discovery system redesign is an example of a successful, user‐centered, collaborative design project

Integrating Research and Quality Improvement Using TeamSTEPPS: A Health Team Communication Project to Improve Hospital Discharge

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative approach to the integration of quality improvement and research processes. A project with the objective of improving health team communication about hospital discharge provides an exemplar case. Description of the Project/Program: The TeamSTEPPS 10-step action planning guide provided the structure for planning, developing, and evaluating a redesign of interprofessional health team communication to improve hospital discharge led by 2 clinical nurse specialists. The redesign involved development of processes for team bedside rounding, registered nurse bedside shift reports, and briefing tools to support the rounding processes. Outcome: Using the TeamSTEPPS process, a 4-phase combined quality improvement and research project was designed and implemented. Implementation is ongoing, supported by process evaluation for continuing process improvement. Longitudinal analysis of research outcomes will follow in the future. Conclusions: Led by unit-based clinical nurse specialists, use of an integrated process of quality improvement and research creates evidence-based innovation to solve interprofessional practice problems. Incorporating research within the project design allows for data-based decisions to inform the clinical process improvement, as well as documentation of both the processes and outcomes of the local improvements that can inform replications in other sites

Lean: Changing the organizational discourse for facilities management?

Purpose: NHS Trusts have begun to use Lean Management thinking to engage staff in redesigning organisational processes to reduce waste, improve quality and increase efficiency ensuring patients receive effective treatment. Lean is starting to be utilised within FM but despite evidence of process redesign and waste reduction there is no research on the impact on the people involved, or the support required for successful implementation. Theory: The study sought to understand the engagement with, and views of, lean approaches by facilities staff utilising these techniques in reorganisation projects. The understanding was applied to a case study of process redesign of the laundry service. Findings: The study found that FM staff saw lean providing an opportunity to develop a better understanding between FM staff and their customers. This contributed to FM staff and customers engaging in joint process redesign, where the co-creative approach enabled the development of efficient and effective patient focused FM services. It was observed that for many FM staff the lean journey can be frustrating, traumatic and in some cases life changing. Staff of all levels need the support of effective leaders as they experience changing approaches to decision making and process design. Originality/Value: The study provides further evidence to support the proposition that translational leadership and awareness of both ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ discourses is a key enabler of effective facilitie

A functional analysis of change propagation

A thorough understanding of change propagation is fundamental to effective change management during product redesign. A new model of change propagation, as a result of the interaction of form and function is presented and used to develop an analysis method that determines how change is likely to propagate. The analysis produces a Design Structure Matrix, which clearly illustrates change propagation paths and highlights connections that could otherwise be ignored. This provides the user with an in-depth knowledge of product connectivity, which has the potential to support the design process and reduce the product's susceptibility to future change

Inspiring service innovation through co-design in public sector healthcare

How can we inspire service innovation through the co-design of public sector healthcare delivery particularly when facing a large and complex challenge? The design and development of a new prototype food service to address malnutrition in older adult hospital patients is used as a case study. It describes how methods used predominantly by designers have been adapted to empower, train, inspire, facilitate and guide not only the multi-disciplinary research team - including food scientists, nutritionists, medical sociologists, ergonomists, and technologists - but also service users and providers. The co-design process is based on the idea that much innovation comes from creating a blend of ideas from multiple sources and that the design of the research can influence the degree of innovation. This paper describes the approach and process that has provided the research team with valuable findings, insights and ideas crucial to successful service redesign and innovation and which is resulting in a new food service prototype