Patterns of Product Development Interactions

Development of complex products and large systems is a highly interactive social process involving hundreds of people designing thousands of interrelated components and making millions of coupled decisions. Nevertheless, in the research summarized by this paper, we have created methods to study the development process, identify its underlying structures, and critique its operation. In this article, we introduce three views of product development complexity: a process view, a product view, and an organization view. We are able to learn about the complex social phenomenon of product development by studying the patterns of interaction across the decomposed elements within each view. We also compare the alignment of the interaction patterns between the product, process, and organization domains. We then propose metrics of product development complexity by studying and comparing these interaction patterns. Finally, we develop hypotheses regarding the patterns of product development interactions, which will be helpful to guide future research.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

A System Architecture-based Model for Planning Iterative Development Processes: General Model Formulation and Analysis of Special Cases

The development process for complex system is typically iterative in nature. Among the critical decisions in managing such process involves deciding how to partition the system development into iterations. This paper proposes a mathematical model that captures the dynamics of such iterative process. The analysis of two special cases of the model provides an insight into how such decision should be made.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

Product Development Process Modeling Using Advanced Simulation

This paper presents a product development process modeling and analysis technique using advanced simulation.The model computes the probability distribution of lead time in a resource-constrained project network where iterations take place among sequential, parallel and overlapped tasks. The model uses the design structure matrix representation to capture the information flows between tasks. In each simulation run, the expected durations of tasks are initially sampled using the Latin Hypercube Sampling method and decrease over time as the model simulates the progress of dynamic stochastic processes. It is assumed that the rework of a task occurs for the following reasons: (1) new information is obtained from overlapped tasks after starting to work with preliminary inputs, (2) inputs change when other tasks are reworked, and (3) outputs fail to meet established criteria. The model can be used for better project planning and control by identifying leverage points for process improvements and evaluating alternative planning and execution strategies. An industrial example is used to illustrate the utility of the model.Center for Innovation in Product Developmen

A System Architecture Approach to Global Product Development

Recent advances in engineering collaboration tools and internet technology have enabled the distribution of product development tasks to offshore sites and global outsourcing partners while still maintaining a tightly connected process. Most firms in complex engineering industries are indeed experimenting with various ways to structure their product development processes on a global basis. In this research, we have explored global product development structures from the perspectives of process flow and system architecture. We employ the design structure matrix method to display and explain these structures and our observations thereof. Through five case studies spanning electronics, equipment, and aerospace industries, we consider the interaction complexity inherent in various global work distribution strategies. We conclude the paper with a summary and directions for future research work

Teaching Design for Environment in Product Design Classes

The paper presents an approach to teaching design for environment (DFE) in the context of a product design and development course. The teaching method has been applied in our classes for graduate engineering, business, and design students. Our approach includes a step-by-step DFE process and utilizes a recent Herman Miller chair as a case study to illustrate the successful application of each step in the process. The DFE process steps are based on our research at Herman Miller and on several published studies that investigated the integration of DFE into the product development process and which we assembled into the step-by-step DFE process. Furthermore, the teaching method includes a new approach to life cycle thinking by relating the product life cycle to the natural life cycle in order to from a closed-loop system

Planning Design Iterations

Companies developing new products have a wide variety of product development (PD) processes from which to choose. Each process offers a different method of iteration to manage risk. Companies must therefore consider the nature and level of risks they face in order to determine the most appropriate iteration and PD process. This paper identifies principles of risk and iteration inherent in product development and then explains how several different PD processes manage risk through iteration. It explains current research on PD decision criteria and concludes by proposing a framework to help companies better select PD processes.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

Technology Readiness Levels at 40: a study of state-of-the-art use, challenges, and opportunities

The technology readiness level (TRL) scale was introduced by NASA in the 1970s as a tool for assessing the maturity of technologies during complex system development. TRL data have been used to make multi-million dollar technology management decisions in programs such as NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover. This scale is now a de facto standard used for technology assessment and oversight in many industries, from power systems to consumer electronics. Low TRLs have been associated with significantly reduced timeliness and increased costs across a portfolio of US Department of Defense programs. However, anecdotal evidence raises concerns about many of the practices related to TRLs. We study TRL implementations based on semi-structured interviews with employees from seven different organizations and examine documentation collected from industry standards and organizational guidelines related to technology development and demonstration. Our findings consist of 15 challenges observed in TRL implementations that fall into three different categories: system complexity, planning and review, and validity of assessment. We explore research opportunities for these challenges and posit that addressing these opportunities, either singly or in groups, could improve decision processes and performance outcomes in complex engineering projects

Characterizing Design Process Interfaces as Organization Networks: Insights for Engineering Systems Management

The engineering design literature has provided guidance on how to identify and analyze design activities and their information dependencies. However, a systematic characterization of process interfaces between engineering design activities is missing, and the impact of structural and compositional aspects of interfaces on process performance is unclear. To fill these gaps, we propose a new approach that characterizes process interfaces as organization networks consisting of people and their interactions when performing interfacing activities. Furthermore, we provide guidance on how to test and interpret the effect of those characteristics on interface problems. As a result, we show how structural and compositional aspects of the organization networks between information-dependent activities provide valuable insights to better manage complex engineering design processes. The proposed approach is applied to the development of a power plant, analyzing 79 process interfaces. The study reveals a relationship between the structure and composition of the process interfaces and reported interface problems. Implications of this approach include the integration of information about process and organization architectures, the systematic identification of key performance metrics associated with interface problems, and improved support for engineering managers by means of a better overview of information flows between activities

An experimental and analytical study of pantograph dynamics

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1984.MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING.Bibliography: leaves 68-70.by Steven Daniel Eppinger.M.S