The need for improvement of Product Development (PD) processes has been
demonstrated by a high demand for the aerospace products to be developed quicker and
cheaper. Set-Based Design (SBD) can improve the ability to respond faster to customers’
requirements by developing a set of design solutions for possible future product orders in
parallel. In SBD participants practise SBCE (Set-Based Concurrent Engineering) by
reasoning, developing and communicating about sets of solutions in parallel. As the
design progresses, they gradually narrow their respective sets of solutions based on the
knowledge gained. As they narrow, they commit to staying within the sets so that others
can rely on their communication (Sobek et al, 1999). This research aims to develop logical
guidelines for the selection of the PD tools and methods to enable the effective
application of the SBD process model guided by a computerized tool, called ‘SBD
Navigator’. An integration of the SBD good practices into the collaborator’s PD processes
is believed to reduce the possibility of the negative design iteration and to reduce PD
time thus providing financial benefits. Understanding the selection of PD methods and
tools within manufacturing companies is a starting point of this research. It reveals main
causes of poor incorporation of PD methods and tools in the preliminary design phase
that might stop businesses from gaining a full range of benefits out of the SBD process
model. As time goes on, PD becomes more difficult to manage due to the necessity of the
collaboration among business participants in order to create complex and well integrated
products. This research project has employed one of the deliverables from the CONGA
(Concept Optimisation of Next Generation Aircraft) project which is the SBD process
model customized by the collaborating company – Rolls-Royce plc. The RR-SBD process
model is presented in chapter 3.
[cont.
