The Development of a Set of Principles for Through-Life Management of Engineering Information

Corporate business models are shifting away from product delivery paradigms to product-service paradigms, where ongoing through-life service support is preeminent. In the UK, a Grand Challenge project (www.kimproject.org) was established to investigate and develop good practice with regard to the design and use of information, knowledge support systems, and business methods necessary for organisations to succeed and profit within this new environment. A key outcome of this work has been the development of a series of principles for through-life management of engineering information, derived from the research insights and experiences of project members in both academia and industry, and supported by detailed explanations and implementation guidance. This report is an approved version of the Principles and their development.This work was undertaken through the “Immortal Information and Through-Life Knowledge Management: Strategies and Tools for the Emerging Product-Service Paradigm” (KIM) project, funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), under grant number EP/C534220/1

A method to assess the effects of engineering change propagation

This paper presents a modelling method that seeks to support the prediction and management of undesired engineering change (EC) propagation during the design and development of complex products. The method builds on the house of quality and the change prediction method to model the effects of potential change propagation brought about by different change options. The objective is to better reflect how well each change option can address the product requirements. The method was applied to the design of a jet engine fan during a case study with an aerospace company. The findings suggest that this modelling approach is suitable for assessing the effects of potential EC propagation and can support companies in effective exploration of the design space. © The Author(s) 2012