Inayat Ullah

Optimisation of product configuration in consideration of customer satisfaction and low carbon

Product configuration is one of the key technologies in the environment of mass customisation, and it has been emphasised and concerned by much research. However, previous studies mostly focus on the cost or the customer utility, but ignore the environmental concern which becomes an important design criterion due to the rising awareness of environmental protection. Moreover, various preferences of customers are also not considered. In this paper, we develop a new bi-objective optimisation model with simultaneous consideration of customer satisfaction and the environmental impact in product configuration. Two objectives of our model are the customer satisfaction index (CSI) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of products. The CSI is presented for the evaluation of customer satisfaction and the GHG emission model is developed to assess the environmental impact of the product. Essential constraints, such as selection, cost and compatibility, are also considered in the model. In addition, a two-phase approach is proposed to solve the optimisation model. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through a case study.

Workload-based change propagation analysis in engineering design

As engineering change is a significant activity in industry and uses a lot of engineering design capacity, the management of engineering changes has become a crucial discipline. Some methods and tools to support dealing with changes have been provided. From the perspective of the workload, our work extends the method of change management through incorporation of requirement-driven change propagation. The primary result of this work is the provision of a design support to find the optimal solution of design change by examining the workload of each change propagation path. In this article, two types of change relationships are illustrated: relationships between change requirements and components and relationships between components. A matrix-based approach and two types of change propagation pattern (AND and OR) are implemented to generate change propagation paths. The concept of workload transformation is applied to calculate the workload of each change component, and then the total workload of each change propagation path is calculated to achieve the optimal solution of design change. Based on the analysis results, the schemes of design change with high workload can be avoided and those with low workload can be implemented efficiently. To demonstrate how the developed method can be applied, a blowing and suction machine is taken into consideration. Finally, the method is initially discussed and evaluated.

Cost-effective propagation paths for multiple change requirements in the product design

Design projects have been surrounded by tight schedule and cost overruns. Therefore, it is indispensable to resolve the design changes in an economical way. This work introduces an advanced technique to assess and optimize change propagation paths for multiple change requirements occurring simultaneously during the product development process. A novel multiple change requirement algorithm and a mathematical model considering the overall propagated risk are developed, to explore cost-effective change propagation paths in terms of lead time. The risk is quantified with regard to propagation likelihood and change impact, which results in re-work. Design structure matrix framework is used to capture the dependencies between components. It is revealed that the change requirements execution sequence has a significant effect on the total number of change propagation paths, change steps, distinct change components, and completion time. This approach is illustrated by a case study, which indicates that the proposed methodology can assist the designer in exploring and selecting optimal change propagation paths.

Matrix-Based Change Prediction and Analysis Method Considering Multiple Change Requirements

This chapter discusses the change propagation in product’s structure as a result of multiple change requirements (MCRs). Design projects have been surrounded by tight schedule and cost overruns. Due to undervaluation of design change efforts, project duration has been diagnosed as one of the key reasons for the problem. Firms should resolve engineering changes (ECs) in an economical way with the aim that modified artefacts can be introduced into the market with a competitive cost and time.

Product-Oriented Change Propagation and Prediction Approach in Product Family Design

The change propagation and prediction in a product family design is discussed in this chapter. In the present situation, product family design is a popular approach in the industry to meet the diversified design needs and customer preferences. In a product family, common components are used by different product variants. The changes in one product variant will flow to the entire family. Therefore, the prediction of change propagation in a family of the product is a challenging task. In the literature, various design change management methodologies have been proposed, but all these methods are limited to a single artifact.

Matrix-Based Computational Concept Design with Ant Colony Optimization

Engineering design is a special form of problem solving where a set of frequently unclear objectives must be balanced without violating a set of constraints. As the concept generation phase of the engineering design becomes more complex and competitive, it is desirable to produce a large number of potential optimized solutions.

Matrix-Based Engineering Change Management of Product Design Using MBD Technique

Engineering change management is a significant activity in industry and the importance of change management is appraised. Different reports suggest that ECs use around one-third of the engineering design capacity.

Workload-Based Change Propagation Analysis in Product Design

Engineering change (EC) is a significant activity in industry. EC may occur from concept, through definition, and development to manufacture, and then into service (Tang et al. in Int J Internet Manuf Serv 1:231–245, 2008). Comprehensive product management is the key to business enterprise management and change management is the core of product management. Comprehensive product management is the key to business enterprise management and change management is the core of product management. In terms of change management, a key measure is the engineering change impact analysis in order to conduct computational analysis and forecast evaluation. Since an engineering product is composed of numerous components and subsystems through mutual relationships among them, changes originating from a component or subsystem will propagate within the product, which may further complicate the impact analysis of the ECs

Product Design as Integration of Axiomatic Design and Design Structure Matrix

Axiomatic design (AD) is a prescriptive engineering design theory that provides a systematic and scientific basis for making design decisions. In AD, two axioms give design teams a solid basis for formalizing design problems, conceptualizing solution alternatives, eliminating bad design ideas during the conceptual stages, choosing the best design among those proposed, and improving existing designs.

Managing engineering change requirements during the product development process

Product redesign is not a straightforward task, specifically for complex commodities. Engineering change requirements can be evoked in any phase of the product development process, thus making engineering change management a challenging task. The motive of this study is to explore the best possible way of managing engineering change requirements taking execution sequence of change requirements into consideration. In this article, a new approach supporting engineering change requirements implementation sequence, by considering the risk associated with engineering changes, is presented. The risk of the redesign is hard to foresee since the engineering change effects are being dispersed from the instigating component to other associated components. In this article, the term of rework-risk is used for the amount of rework needed to be done to redesign the products’ components. The practicality of suggested method is analyzed using the redesign of an optical mouse as a case study. Managing engineering change requirements in a group with proper sequence can ensue with a 15% decrease in the redesign duration as compared with the prompt implementation of engineering change requirements. Conversely, it can also cause 36.23% increase in the redesign duration, if not handled in an appropriate sequence. The results from a single, simple case, indicates that running engineering change requirement batches can be beneficial.