A framework for managing engineering change propagation

Engineering Changes (ECs) are facts of life for any company developing and introducing new products, despite a commonly held notion that they are distractions from normal operation. Companies can become more innovative by utilising ideas from the ECs or by learning how to handle the ECs. This paper presents a framework to manage the ECs effectively, particularly the issue of EC propagation. An EC seldom confines itself to a single change, but triggers other changes in different components. The framework is designed to identify the affected components automatically, capture the required knowledge during the design phase of the product life cycle, and use it during the Engineering Change Management (ECM) process

Managing software development information in global configuration management activities

Software Configuration Management (SCM) techniques have been considered the entry point to rigorous software engineering, where multiple organizations cooperate in a decentralized mode to save resources, ensure the quality of the diversity of software products, and manage corporate information to get a better return of investment. The incessant trend of Global Software Development (GSD) and the complexity of implementing a correct SCM solution grow not only because of the changing circumstances, but also because of the interactions and the forces related to GSD activities. This paper addresses the role SCM plays in the development of commercial products and systems, and introduces a SCM reference model to describe the relationships between the different technical, organizational, and product concerns any software development company should support in the global market

Characteristics of changeable systems across value chains

Engineering changes (ECs) are inevitable for businesses due to increasing innovation, shorter lifecycles, technology and process improvements and cost reduction initiatives. The ECs could propagate and cause further changes due to existing system dependencies, which can be challenging. Hence, change management (CM) is a relevant discipline, which aims to reduce the impact of changes. EC assessment methods form the basis of CM that support in assessing system dependencies and the impact of changes. However, there is limited understanding of which factors influence the change-ability across value chains (VCs). This research adopted a VC approach to EC assessment. Dependencies in products and processes were captured, followed by the risk (i.e. likelihood x impact) assessment of ECs using change prediction method (CPM). Four case studies were conducted from two industries (automotive, furniture) to identify design (product) and manufacturing (process) elements with high risk to be affected by ECs. Based on the case results, characteristics were identified that influence change-ability across VC. This contributed to the CM domain while businesses could also use the results to assess ECs across VC, and improve the design of products and processes by increasing their changeability across VC e.g. by proactive decoupling or reactive handling of system dependencies.Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), UK under Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI

Propagation of engineering changes to multiple product data views using history of product structure changes

Abstract The present paper proposes a comprehensive procedure for engineering change propagation in order to maintain consistency between various product data views. A product data model is also proposed for the propagation procedure, which integrates base product definitions for product design, and product data views for other manufacturing or customer support. The product data view in the proposed model enables manufacturing or customer support engineers to define their own product data views, without copying the existing product definition. Integrated with other components, the engineering changes in the data model provide structure-oriented change history, effectivity management for production, and integration with product configurations. Based on the integrated product data model, the proposed procedure propagates engineering changes to product data views using the history of product structure changes. The propagation procedure maintains consistency of product data during collaboration between various design, manufacturing and customer support departments, who have different product data views. Prototype database applications together with an example of illustrative change propagation are also presented

Propagation of engineering changes to multiple product data views using history of product structure changes

The present paper proposes a comprehensive procedure for engineering change propagation in order to maintain consistency between various product data views. A product data model is also proposed for the propagation procedure, which integrates base product definitions for product design, and product data views for other manufacturing or customer support. The product data view in the proposed model enables manufacturing or customer support engineers to define their own product data views, without copying the existing product definition. Integrated with other components, the engineering changes in the data model provide structure-oriented change history, effectivity management for production, and integration with product configurations. Based on the integrated product data model, the proposed procedure propagates engineering changes to product data views using the history of product structure changes. The propagation procedure maintains consistency of product data during collaboration between various design, manufacturing and customer support departments, who have different product data views. Prototype database applications together with an example of illustrative change propagation are also presented.close6

Concepts of change propagation analysis in engineering design

Interest in change propagation analysis for engineering design has increased rapidly since the topic gained prominence in the late 1990s. Although there are now many approaches and models, there is a smaller number of underlying key concepts. This article contributes a literature review and organising framework that summarises and relates these key concepts. Approaches that have been taken to address each key concept are collected and discussed. A visual analysis of the literature is presented to uncover some trends and gaps. The article thereby provides a thematic analysis of state-of-the-art in design change propagation analysis, and highlights opportunities for further work

A Conceptual Framework and Simulation Modeling Of Engineering Change Management in a Collaborative Environment

Engineering Change Management (ECM) in a collaborative environment is a complex process and is crucial to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to ensure low product development time and cost. In this thesis, the ECM in a collaborative environment has been studied and a conceptual framework to support the process is presented. New Product Development (NPD) and ECM processes have been modeled and simulated to study the associated process dynamics. An extensive review of the literature indicated that the research on ECM in a collaborative environment is very limited. The review also highlighted that, (i) the ECM frameworks from past research do not support a flexible ECM workflow and (ii) the ECM process in a collaborative environment has never been modeled and studied. A Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based conceptual framework for ECM process in a collaborative environment, which supports an agile ECM process, is presented along with a case study to demonstrate its implementation. NPD and ECM process templates have been developed. These developed process templates can be used to model and the study the dynamics of the NPD and ECM processes within an organization and in a collaborative environment. The process templates are later used to model and simulate the ECM process, within an organization and a sample collaborating network. The effects of various process parameters and ECM management policies on the NPD lead time have been studied

Modeling and Managing Engineering Changes in a Complex Product Development Process

Today\u27s hyper-competitive worldwide market, turbulent environment, demanding customers, and diverse technological advancements force any corporations who develop new products to look into all the possible areas of improvement in the entire product lifecycle management process. One of the areas that both scholars and practitioners have overlooked in the past is Engineering Change Management (ECM). The vision behind this dissertation is to ultimately bridge this gap by identifying main characteristics of a New Product Development (NPD) process that are potentially associated with the occurrence and magnitude of iterations and Engineering Changes (ECs), developing means to quantify these characteristics as well as the interrelationships between them in a computer simulation model, testing the effects of different parameter settings and various coordination policies on project performance, and finally gaining operational insights considering all relevant EC impacts. The causes for four major ECM problems (occurrence of ECs, long EC lead time, high EC cost, and occurrence frequency of iterations and ECs), are first discussed diagrammatically and qualitatively. Factors that contribute to particular system behavior patterns and the causal links between them are identified through the exploratory construction of causal/causal-loop diagrams. To further understand the nature of NPD/ECM problems and verify the key assumptions made in the conceptual causal framework, three field survey studies were conducted in the summer of 2010 and 2011. Information and data were collected to assess the current practice in automobile and information technology industries where EC problems are commonly encountered. ased upon the intuitive understanding gained from these two preparation work, a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model is proposed. In addition to combining essential project features, such as concurrent engineering, cross functional integration, resource constraints, etc., it is distinct from existing research by introducing the capability of differentiating and characterizing various levels of uncertainties (activity uncertainty, solution uncertainty, and environmental uncertainty) that are dynamically associated with an NPD project and consequently result in stochastic occurrence of NPD iterations and ECs of two different types (emergent ECs and initiated ECs) as the project unfolds. Moreover, feedback-loop relationships among model variables are included in the DES model to enable more accurate prediction of dynamic work flow. Using a numerical example, different project-related model features (e.g., learning curve effects, rework likelihood, and level of dependency of product configuration) and coordination policies (e.g., overlapping strategy, rework review strategy, IEC batching policy, and resource allocation policy) are tested and analyzed in detail concerning three major performance indicators: lead time, cost, and quality, based on which decision-making suggestions regarding EC impacts are drawn from a systems perspective. Simulation results confirm that the nonlinear dynamics of interactions between NPD and ECM plays a vital role in determining the final performance of development efforts

Vers l'élimination des dessins d'ingénierie des processus de modification d'ingénierie en aéronautique

La définition du produit est aujourd’hui composée et véhiculée par des modèles 3D et des dessins 2D tout au long du cycle de vie du produit. Grâce aux progrès portant sur la définition de la maquette numérique, les entreprises, notamment celles des secteurs automobile et aéronautique, s’intéressent à l’approche Model-based Definition (MBD) qui promet de réduire les temps de mise en marché et d’améliorer la qualité des produits. Sa finalité est d’accélérer et améliorer les processus de conception, de fabrication et d’inspection en intégrant les annotations, traditionnellement portées par les dessins d’ingénierie, directement dans le modèle 3D, provoquant ainsi une diminution significative de la production de dessins. Malgré l’existence de standards internationaux et d’outils CAO spécifiques pour supporter le concept MBD, son implémentation n’a pas été encore entièrement adoptée tout au long du cycle de vie du produit. Les dessins d’ingénierie traditionnels assument encore différentes fonctions perçues comme essentielles telles que la capture et la distribution des données non géométriques (tolérances, notes, etc.), le stockage à long terme de la définition des produits, de même que dans la gestion des modifications d’ingénierie. Particulièrement, le processus de gestion des modifications (PGM) d’ingénierie implique l’étude, l’annotation, la révision, la validation et la libération des dessins d’ingénierie. L’exploration des alternatives de réingénierie du PGM en absence de dessins devient alors une démarche nécessaire vers l’adoption de l’approche MBD. L’objectif de ce projet de recherche est donc de proposer une solution permettant l’exécution du PGM dans un environnement sans dessins et de quantifier les gains potentiels. Deux entreprises canadiennes du secteur aéronautique sont impliquées dans ce projet de recherche. Dans un premier temps, les obstacles qui doivent être surmontés pour permettre l’adoption de l’initiative MBD sont identifiés. Nos observations sont le résultat de quarante-et-une entrevues effectuées dans les départements d’ingénierie, gestion de la configuration, navigabilité, certification, fabrication, inspection et gestion des connaissances chez les partenaires industriels. Les résultats des entrevues indiquent qu’il est nécessaire de définir clairement la façon dont la définition du produit va être véhiculée en absence des dessins tout en supportant les besoins spécifiques provenant de chacun des clients de la définition du produit. Par la suite, une solution permettant l’exécution du PGM dans un contexte MBD est développée et évaluée en se basant sur les caractéristiques et spécifications du PGM chez les partenaires industriels. La solution consiste à définir un ensemble des données qui est composée du modèle 3D annoté (généré par le système CAO) et du fichier de distribution (généré et exploité par l’application de visualisation) sous format allégé. L’exercice de réingénierie du PGM est réalisé en fonction de la solution proposée. Finalement, les gains issus de la solution proposée sont évalués et quantifiés. Une approche par simulation à événements discrets est adoptée en considérant des données empiriques et expérimentales provenant de l’un des partenaires industriels. Des réductions d’environ 11% du temps et du coût moyen d’exécution du processus sont obtenues

Engineering change modelling using a function-behaviour-structure scheme

Some of the work contained in this dissertation has been published and presented as below: - B.Hamraz, N.H.M.Caldwell, D.C.Wynn, and P.J.Clarkson, (2013): Requirements-based Development of an Improved Engineering Change Management Method. Journal of Engineering Design, online first, DOI: 10.1080/09544828.2013.834039. - B.Hamraz, N.H.M.Caldwell, and P.J.Clarkson, (2013): A Holistic Framework for Categorisation of Literature in Engineering Change Management. Systems Engineering 16 (4). - B.Hamraz, O.Hisarciklilar, K.Rahmani, D.C.Wynn, V.Thomson, and P.J.Clarkson, (2013): Change Prediction Using Interface Data. Concurrent Engineering 21 (2), pp. 139-154. - B.Hamraz, N.H.M.Caldwell, and P.J.Clarkson, (2012): A Multi-domain Engineering Change Propagation Model to Support Uncertainty Reduction and Risk Management in Design. Journal of Mechanical Design 134 (10), pp. 100905.01-14. - B.Hamraz, N.H.M.Caldwell, and P.J.Clarkson, (2012): A Matrix-calculation-based Algorithm for Numerical Change Propagation Analysis. Transactions on Engineering Management 60 (1), pp. 186-198. - B.Hamraz, N.H.M.Caldwell, and P.J.Clarkson, (2012): FBS Linkage Model – Towards an Integrated Engineering Change Prediction and Analysis Method. Proceedings of the International Design Conference (DESIGN'10), Dubrovnik, Croatia, pp. 901-910.Engineering changes are unavoidable and occur throughout the lifecycle of products. Due to the high interconnectivity of engineering products, a single change to one component usually has knock-on effects on other components causing further changes. This change propagation significantly affects the success of a product in the market by increasing development cost and time-to-market. As such engineering change management is essential to companies, but it is a complex task for managers and researchers alike. To address this challenge, the thesis at hand investigates the state-of-the-art of research in engineering change management and develops a method to support engineering change propagation analysis, termed FBS Linkage. This method integrates functional reasoning with change prediction. A product is modelled as a network of its functional, behavioural, and structural attributes. Change propagation is then described as spread between the elements along the links of this network. The FBS Linkage concept is designed based on a comprehensive set of requirements derived from both the literature and industry practices as well as a comparative assessment of existing change methods and functional reasoning schemes. A step-by-step technique of building and using an FBS Linkage model is demonstrated. The method’s potential benefits are discussed. Finally, the application of the method to two industrial case studies involving a diesel engine and a scanning electron microscope is presented. The method evaluation indicates that the benefits of the method outweigh its application effort and pinpoints areas for further refinement.This work was supported partly by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and partly by the Transatlantic Partnership for Excellence in Engineering (TEE)