Introduction - Product Design and Development

Chapter 1 Ulrich and Eppinger - Product Design and Development

Characteristics of Successful New Products

A successful product is one that is being sold profitably. But profitability of a new product cannot be assessed quickly  in the early years. Hence measures which ultimately relate to profits are used.
The success of the product development project is determined by five dimensions.

Product quality
Product cost
Development time
Development cost
Development capability

Who in an organization are involved in new product development?

Main departments or functions involved are:

Marketing, Design, and Manufacturing

The Challenges of Product Development

The product development process is risky. It is difficult to create highly successful products more than half time in case of companies which are considered as good product development companies.

Trade-offs: Design decisions have tradeoffs. Light weight versus cost in case of air planes.
Dynamics: Evolution of technologies, customer preferences, competitor's new products and change in environment.

Details,
Time pressure,
Economics: A large investment has to be made in developing the product, process and acquiring resources to set up the production plant. It must have return on investment.

Approach of The Book by  Karl Ulrich and Steven Eppinger

Structured methods

Step-by-approach is provided for each major activity of product design and development.

The step by step approach makes the process explicit. It provides checklist for practice. Also, the process when implemented provides documentation which can be analyzed later and used as reference.

Industrial examples

Each chapter in the book is developed around an industrial example.

Organizational realities

The negative activities highlighted by the authors in the product development process and teams are:

1. Lack of empowerment of the team.
2. Functional allegiances transcending project goals.
3. Inadequate resources given to the team.
4. Lack of cross-functional representation on the project team.


Updated on 1 September 2019, 2 August 2016

Product - Part Concept Generation, Selection and Testing - Product Architecture

Concept Generation

1. Clarify the Problem
2. Search Externally
3. Search Internally
4. Explore Systematically
5. Reflect on the Solutions and the Process




http://sites.tufts.edu/eeseniordesignhandbook/2013/product-concept-generation/

External Search

Whenever an engineering problem is to be solved, engineers have to consult existing literature, handbooks, catalogues supplied by vendors and also visit places and observe new products. This stage of the process is termed as external search.

– Lead Users
– Experts
– Patents
– Literature
– Benchmarking

• Internal Search

– Individual Methods
– Group Methods


During internal search

Suspend judgment
Generate lot of ideas
Welcome ideas that may seem infeasible
Use graphical and physical media also to generate ideas that can't be described in words.

• Systematic Exploration

– Classification Tree
– Combination Table

Concept Selection

It is based on method developed by Stuart Pugh. Called Pugh Concept Selection.

1. Prepare the Selection Matrix.
2. Rate the Concepts
3. Rank the Concepts
4. Combine and Improve the Concepts
5. Select One or More Concepts


Details

1. Prepare the Selection Matrix.
The concepts are portrayed by written description as well as graphical or pictorial representation.
A reference concept is chosen which is an industry standard or a well known concept to the participants so that it can be used to rate the generated concepts as better or worse.

2. Rate the Concepts
A relative score of "better than" (+) or "same as" (0) or "worse than" (-) is placed in each cell matrix formed by selection criteria and the specific concept.
3. Rank the Concepts
The +, 0 and -  are totalled against each concept to rank the concepts.
4. Combine and Improve the Concepts
The team can now see possibilities of combing the good features of various concepts into new concepts.
5. Select One or More Concepts
Selection of one or more concepts is now done for further refinement.

Concept Testing

1. Define the Purpose of the Concept Test
2. Choose a Survey Population
3.Choose a Survey Format
4. Communicate the Concept
5. Measure the Customer Response
6. Interpret the Results



Details

1. Define the Purpose of the Concept Test
2. Choose a Survey Population and Sample Size
The sample size of the survey should be large enough that the team's confidence in the results is high enough to guide decision making

3.Choose a Survey Format

Survey formats include face to face interaction, telephone, postal mail, electronic mail, internet etc.

4. Communicate the Concept

The concept can be communicated to the survey participant as verbal description, sketch, photo, story board, video, physical model or working prototype. Based on the communication form used, the survye format also will change.

5. Measure the Customer Response

The customer response can be taken in the form

Definitely would buy.
Probably would buy.
Might or might not buy.
Probably would not buy.
Definitely would not buy.

6. Interpret the Results

A product is developed based on functional elements. The product as developed has physical elements, parts and subassemblies.

The architecture of a product is the scheme by which the functional elements of the product are arranged into physical chunks (items of the product) and by which the chunks interact.

The most modular architecture is one in which each functional element of the product is implemented through  one distinct chunk.

Product Architecture


1. Create a Schematic of the Product
2. Cluster the Elements of the Schematic
3. Create a Rough Geometric Layout
4. Identify the Fundamental and Incidental Interactions


Delayed Differentiation of the Product


Platform Planning

A company may offer two or more products that are highly differentiated yet share a substantial fraction of their components. The fraction that is shared is called the platform,

In platform based products, there is a commonality or common parts plan and differentiation plan.

Product Design and Development - Bibliography

2017

Automotive Product Development: A Systems Engineering Implementation
Vivek D. Bhise
CRC Press, 08-May-2017 - Technology & Engineering - 550 pages

This book is about how to develop future automotive products by applying the latest methodologies based on a systems engineering approach and by taking into account many issues facing the auto industry such as meeting government safety, emissions and fuel economy regulations, incorporating advances in new technology applications in structural materials, power trains, vehicle lighting systems, displays and telematics, and satisfying the very demanding customer.

It is financially disastrous for any automotive company to create a vehicle that very few people want. To design an automotive product that will be successful in the marketplace requires carefully orchestrated teamwork of experts from many disciplines, substantial amount of resources, and application of proven techniques at the right time during the product development process.

Automotive Product Development: A Systems Engineering Implementation is intended for company management personnel and graduate students in engineering, business management and other disciplines associated with the development of automotive and other complex products.
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=wbrODgAAQBAJ


Japan and the Global Automotive Industry

Koichi Shimokawa
Cambridge University Press, 03-Jun-2010 - Business & Economics

The Japanese automotive industry enjoyed spectacular success in the 1980s. This was largely due to the so-called 'Lean Production System' - the combination of an efficient production system, an effective supplier system, and a product development system. In the 1990s the industry fell on hard times because of the Japanese asset price bubble and extreme currency appreciation. In this book, eminent industry specialist Koichi Shimokawa draws on his thirty years of research and fieldwork with Japanese and American firms, to show how the Japanese automotive industry has managed to recover from this difficult period. He shows how firms like Toyota were able to transfer Japanese systems to overseas plants and how they have changed in order to compete in increasingly globalized markets. In addition, the book also addresses the two major challenges to the current industry model: the rise of China and the environmental and energy supply situation.

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=D90-Q6AEEIoC


Earlier posting

Features of Engineering Product Design and Development


Value engineering and cost reduction in a chip
http://www.techeta.com/powercolor-pcs-ax5870-video-card-refines-the-5870-design/

Rethinking Home Designs - 10 Value engineering trends


Updated on 24 August 2019, 18 December 2011

Product Design and Development - Ulrich and Eppinger - Summary Chapters

Summary of 16 chapters

Karl T. Ulrich – Steven D. Eppinger

Introduction to Product Design and Development - Summary Article - All Chapters

1. Introduction - Product Design and Development

2. Product Development Process

3. Product Planning

4. Identifying Customer Needs for Product Development

Product Specifications

Concept Generation

Concept Selection

Concept Testing

Product Architecture

Industrial Design Process

Design for Manufacturing

Prototyping - Planning for Prototyping

Robust Design

Patents and Intellectual Property - Patent Application Process

Product Development  - Economic Analysis

Managing Projects

http://wesp.snt.utwente.nl/~newton//UserFiles/File/Summary%20Product%20Design%20and%20Development.pdf

Summary of 16 chapters

Karl T. Ulrich – Steven D. Eppinger


Updated  24 August 2019,  3 August 2016, 17 Mar 2016, 27 Aug 2012

Product Development Process

Chapter 2 Ulrich and Eppinger - Product Design and Development


A Generic Development Process


0. Planning
1. Concept Development
2. System Level Design
3. Detail Design
4. Testing and Refinement
5. Production Ramp-up



Details of the Steps

0. Planning
1. Concept Development

In this phage needs of the market and the target market are identified first. Based on the needs, product concepts are generated. They are evaluated marketers as well as product development team and one or more concepts are selected for further development and testing. A concept is a description of the form, function, and features of product. Thus specifications of the product based on the concept are developed. For evaluation of each concept, an analysis of competitive products, and the revenues expected from the concept and the fixed cost and variable cost of the concept are also provided.

2. System Level Design

Based on the concept design or designs approved for further development, the product architecture is now created. Architecture defines the subsystems and components and provides a description of function of each component and subassembly and how as a whole they satisfy all the requirements of the customers. Thus the final assembly scheme for the product is specified.  As output of this phase of development, a geometric layout of the product, functional specifications of each subsystem, component are provided. A preliminary process flow chart for the final assembly process is also created. The article on "Product Architecture" will contain the steps followed to complete the system level design.

3. Detail Design
4. Testing and Refinement
5. Production Ramp-up


Updated on 24 August 2019, 2 August 2016