Design Strategy
By their very nature, products possess different characteristics, which influence how individual parts within a product function and relate to one another, how the product is assembled, and ultimately, how the product is designed.
For example, consider a personal computer. Personal computers can vary greatly in terms of their performance characteristics and other features. Many computer companies tout the ability to create a product that can meet the customer’s every wish. To accomplish this, computer companies are able to create a product that meet each set of unique requirements by selecting from among families of different modules, or subassemblies, that can be quickly integrated to create a new computer.
For example, depending on the desired performance, different CPU’s can be used. Additionally, depending on customer needs for a CD player, floppy disk drive, or some other feature, modules representing these components can easily be incorporated into the product design.
Modular Design
Products created using modules or subassemblies are represented by a design strategy known as the modular design approach. The modular design approach embodies the philosophy of designing and developing standardized modules, or subassemblies, that can be used as “building blocks” to quickly create new products based on customer requirements. Products produced using this approach possess the following characteristics:
- Operate under a plug-and-play philosophy
- Standardize interfaces between parts that insure a high degree
of module interchangeability
- Alter overall product performance by using modules possessing different functional characteristics
Many products, in addition to a personal computer, are produced using the modular design approach such as automobiles, power tools, bicycles, and kitchen appliances, to name a few.
Platform Design
A second design strategy that contrasts the modular design approach is known as the platform design strategy. Products supported by this design strategy are not conducive to the module plug-and-play approach. Platform designs, by definition, are representative of products that possess a high degree of interdependency between the individual components. In this case, all of the parts must work together to perform the product’s primary function.
Consider the example of the gearbox depicted in the graphic. In this case, the gearbox is designed to meet a certain speed requirement. As you can see, the individual parts of the gearbox must all work together and are specifically sized to meet the speed requirement. For this product, it’s not possible to replace or resize one or two parts to change the product’s overall performance. In this case, if one part changes, it affects another, then another, and so on. In other words, the entire product represents an integrated platform. If a different speed requirement is needed, typically an entire new product is created.
Due to the absence of modules, the platform product development process does not have the same degree of explicit part and product reuse as the modular design approach. Consequently, this strategy employs a different tactical approach to achieve the goals for product development. These include:
- Managing the technical risk associated with the creation
of a new product
- Reducing cycle time by eliminating redundant and
repetitive tasks
- Employing reuse through a library of analytical models for
engineering analysis
Custom Design
A key ingredient in design strategy selection is the amount of product data and information that is available for creating a new product. In other words, the amount of available product data and information the company possesses to create the product correlates directly with the amount of experience the company has in developing the product.
For example, consider a company that has a long history of producing street touring bicycles. Based on this history, over time the company would have generated considerable product data and possess a good understanding of all aspects of street touring bicycle design such as the impact of different frame designs, tire performance and wear characteristics based on varying road conditions, and so on. Consequently, if the company decided to develop a new street touring bicycle, it would be able to rely on its strong experience base and existing product data to create the new product.
However, let’s say this company wanted to expand its product line and produce mountain bicycles. Mountain bicycles represent a design that is considerably different from street bicycles. For example, mountain bicycles utilize different gearing systems, sturdier frames, and thicker tires compared to street touring bicycles. Based on these differences, the company would not be able to rely heavily on its experience and available product data. The mountain bicycle design represents a departure from the company’s core competencies and experience base. This scenario exemplifies a third design strategy known as the custom design approach.
The custom design approach focuses on the development of breakthrough products for a company. Breakthrough products represent new products that add to a company’s existing product portfolio or upgrades to existing products. A product representing a custom design requires the company to extend beyond its known core competencies in order to develop the product and, as a result, represents a journey of exploration. Consequently, this approach requires greater program management skills and typically more resources than the platform or modular design approaches.
A custom design strategy represents a high-risk approach for a potentially high reward. The reward should be high enough to compensate for the greater chance of failure. However, through a custom design strategy, an improved market position can be achieved and new business captured translating into greater revenue for the company.
In summary, a key element for achieving product development excellence is to select the appropriate design strategy for the product being produced. Although the product development goals are the same, the tactical approach within each design strategy to achieve the goals are quite different.
Design Strategy, which is the heart of the product development process, represents a streamlining element in the APD System.
Accelerated Product Development has developed a suite of tools to exploit the use of product data and information in a way that maximizes the benefits from each design strategy. By leveraging the company’s knowledge and experience base, coupled with an understanding of the product’s inherent characteristics, your company can employ an effective design strategy enabling it to create new products quickly and efficiently.
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