Dirk J. Pons

Project management for new product development

This article examines the intersection of the project management body of knowledge with new product development (NPD). The area under examination is the development of consumer products that have a significant engineering production content. It is concluded that the project management method, with its structured task definition and software tools, is gen-erally useful for managing NPD projects. However, in some areas, project management incom-pletely meets the needs of NPD. Specifically, NPD is characterized by complex interrelated activities and large uncertainties about precisely which solution path will be taken, such that the full scope of the project can often not be anticipated beforehand. The article identifies that more research is required to validate the stage-gate and lean project management methods. Whereas cost is the primary focus in project management, with NPD there is a need to consider both cost and income (from product sales) in making strategic decisions. Communication and human resource management are important factors in NPD success, but existing project management perspectives have little to say about the social and behavioral aspects, such as organizational culture, team dynamics, and leadership styles, especially not for NPD. Current project management practices are very much based on “output control” (targets, appraisal, rewards, management by objectives), which the human resource management literature identifies as inhibiting innovation. There is also likely to exist an intersection, as yet poorly understood, between project management and knowledge management, particularly for innovation processes such as NPD. For practitioners, the main message is that the project management method provides a basic, but imperfect, tool for managing NPD. The relevance for researchers is that gaps have been identified in the project management method as it is cur-rently applied to NPD. Several places are identified where further research is required to (a) better understand the causality between factors (e.g., human resource management) and project success and (b) adapt project management methods to better serve the NPD process.

Cycling device powered by the electrically stimulated muscles of paraplegics

The paper describes a device (Paracycle), that uses functional neuromuscular stimulation to exercise subjects, explore FNS technology and provide paraplegics with locomotion. The Paracycle is a four-wheeled cycling vehicle that may be used as a stationary exercise device or for locomotion. It incorporates a fully adjustable seat and an electric motor to assist or retard the cycling motion, as well as speed and direction controls. Furthermore, it has braces to fasten the feet to the pedals and to stabilise the ankle, as well as gearing to enable subjects with very small forces to move the vehicle forward. Results are presented for two cases studies. Good stability of the leg was achieved during the cycling motion and this would appear to be a major advantage of functional neuromuscular stimulation cycling over functional neuromuscular stimulation gait. Important areas for future research include a better understanding of the biomechanics of functional neuromuscular stimulation cycling and the development of Paracycle-like devices that can be used independently by paraplegics.

Outer boundary of the expanding cosmos: Discrete fields and implications for the holographic principle

A physical interpretation of the holographic principle is derived, using a specific non-local hidden-variable theory called the Cordus conjecture. We start by developing an explanation for the vacuum, and differentiate this from the void into which the universe expands. In this theory the vacuum comprises a fabric of discrete field elements generated by matter particules. The outside void into which the universe expands is identified as lacking a fabric, and also being without time. From this perspective the cosmological boundary is therefore the expanding surface where the fabric colonises the void. Thus the cosmological boundary is proposed to contain the discrete field elements of all the primal particules within the universe, and therefore contains information about the attributes of those particules at genesis. Inner shells then code for the changed locations of those particules and any new, or annihilated, particules. Regarding the notion of holographic control of inner contents of the universe from the outer surface, this theory identifies the infeasibility of placing a physical Agent at the boundary of the universe, and also predicts there is no practical way to control the universe from its outer boundary as the holographic principle suggests. It also rejects the notion that the boundary contains information about the future and past, or about all possible universes. The Cordus model suggests that there is no causality from the boundary of the universe to its inner contents.

Design with uncertain qualitative variables under imperfect knowledge

Abstract To support early design and design under risk, it is necessary to have methodologies to process the various forms of uncertainties. Three independent dimensions of uncertainty are identified in the paper as certainty of analysis (epistemic uncertainty), random variability (stochastic variability and design indecision) and type of variable. The type of variable is further categorized into six scales that are broadly grouped into quantitative and qualitative. Common engineering modelling tools used for design do not operate well on combinations of random variables, qualitative variables and imperfect knowledge. The hypothesis of this paper is that a modelling system could be developed to accommodate the multiple types of uncertainty that can exist during engineering design. This is worth doing as accommodating design uncertainty is an important part of risk management in engineering. The paper then proceeds to describe the way in which the design for system integrity (DSI) methodology meets these objectives. DSI may be used to create models with uncertain variables (including textual and non-ordered), given subjective and imperfect knowledge (including uncertain opinion). Consequently, DSI supports risk management in engineering design.

Environmentally Lean Production: The Development and Incorporation of an Environmental Impact Index into Value Stream Mapping

There is a need to include environmental waste alongside other lean wastes. Current concepts of environmental waste focus on the total production of waste from a plant. However waste is generated by individual processes within the production. Therefore focused management of waste requires engineers to know what and where waste is being generated. This is often simply not known with any accuracy. This work offer a solution by developing a method to integrate environmental waste into the lean method of Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Specifically it integrate corporate environmental standards with the VSM process, thereby permitting established lean improvement process to be focused at specific environmental improvement actions. Application of the method is demonstrated in a manufacturing setting, representing a variety of environmental impacts. The deployment is capable of being generalised to any number of environmental factors. It is able to represent a customised waste index for a particular industry. Several ways to represent the multidimensional environmental wastes were explored via industry focus group. The resulting method can be used by production staff to quantify environmental impacts at the level of the individual process and aggregated to report wastes for the whole value stream.

Implementing Lean Practices: Managing the Transformation Risks

Insightful implementation of lean is necessary for high-value manufacturing and is complementary to strategic decision making regarding manufacture. However lean can be difficult to implement in specific organisations. One of the difficulties is deciding which of the many lean tools to apply and when to apply them. A complicating factor is change management. Lean implementation is a transformational process and needs to support organisational development alongside process improvement. We develop a method based on risk management to identify which lean tools are most appropriate for a specific organisational setting. This permits the situational and contingency variables to be accommodated in the lean transformation. The method is demonstrated by application to a small manufacturing organisation with a high-variety low-volume business model. Thus it is possible, given contextual knowledge of the organisation, to predict which lean methods are most important in the situation. This enables the prioritisation of organisational effort towards lean methods that are relevant to the organisation at that particular time in its development.

The design process and a methodology for system integrity

Abstract Commonly used models of the design process do not reflect concurrent engineering, the influence of computer-assisted design on the design process, or the recursive divergent-convergent thinking processes at different levels of detail from whole system to subsystem to component design. Also, these models do not illustrate the process of establishing functional integrity in the design of multicomponent systems where multiple interdependencies are present. This paper outlines design model developments by the authors and introduces a methodology for designing for system integrity and minimizing risk from early in the conceptual phase, where uncertainty is high. The process involves probabilistic reasoning in propagating both qualitative and quantitative effects of changes or uncertainty in component or subsystem specifications through system models and determining the integrity of the design from multiple viewpoints.

Success factors and barriers to implementing lean in the printing industry: A case study and theoretical framework

Purpose Lean principles are applied in manufacturing and service industries extensively, but its successful application in the printing industry has been poor. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that impede the uptake of lean in the printing industry. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative case study research methods were used to explore success factors and barriers to implementing lean in printing by interviewing two managers and three employees at each of two printing firms that had implemented lean to different degrees. Findings A number of critical success factors and barriers to implementing lean are identified. Success factors include practitioners’ understanding of lean philosophy, principles and methods, management leadership and commitment, upfront training in lean and effective communication. Originality/value The work contributes to empirical research on implementing lean in the printing industry. This research identified critical success and failure factors in implementing lean in this industry. Management knowledge, commitment, and support emerged as key factors. A theoretical framework is provided that proposes relationships of causality for the successful implementation of lean in this industry.

Dynamic Interaction between Machine, Tool, and Substrate in Bobbin Friction Stir Welding

The bobbin friction stir welding (BFSW) process has benefits for welding aluminium alloy 6082-T6 in the boat-building industry. However this alloy is difficult to weld in the thin state. There are a large number of process variables and covert situational factors that affect weld quality. This paper investigates how tool holder and machine-type affect BFSW weld quality of 4 mm Al6082-T6. The variables were tool features (three types), machine-controller type (two types), and tool holder (fixed versus floating). Fourier analysis was performed on motor spindle current to determine the frequency response of the machine. An interaction was found between the computer numerical control (CNC), the degrees of freedom of the tool holder, and the substrate (workpiece). The conventional idea that the welding tool has a semisteady interaction with the substrate is not supported. Instead the interaction is highly dynamic, and this materially affects the weld quality. Specific vibrational interactions are associated with poor welding. The CNC machine-type also emerges as a neglected variable that needs to be given attention in the selection of process parameters. Although compliance in the tool holder might seem useful, it is shown to have negative consequences as it introduces tool positioning problems.

Relative effectiveness of mechanisms for simulating uncertainty in quantitative systems

Abstract Simulation of engineering systems may involve high uncertainty, especially at the early stage of design. It is often necessary to explore the performance of systems under the influence of random events or when probabilistic rather than deterministic input data are known. This paper introduces a probabilistic computational tool that exists within a general methodology called design for system integrity (DSI). DSI supports engineers in design and manufacture by providing an assessment mechanism to analyse system design at all stages including early conceptual design. DSI is compared with the algebra of random variables, the Monte Carlo method and fuzzy theory.