This method includes three stages. The latter two may need to be looked at repeatedly during the process.
Analysis
At the beginning of the process, there needs to be extensive research involving concrete facts and figures. This data then feeds into possible solutions to the problem at hand, and the best way to achieve these solutions. Formally, two stages are involved here:
Accept Situation: The designers commit to the project and identify a solution. Available resources are consolidated to reach this goal most efficiently
Analyze: The team now collectively begins research to collect all relevant data to help reach a solution
Concept
Once the problem and potential solutions are narrowed, the final solution is identified and conceptualized in detail. This includes working out adherence to standards and how closely the visualized solution meets identified customer needs. One basic stage here is:
Define: Here, the team identifies the key issue or issues. Using the problem conditions as objectives and constraints as parameters within which to operate, the team narrows down the information
Synthesis
At this stage, the solutions are turned into ideas and the best ones are highlighted. These ideas of design turn into prototypes on which actual products will be based. This stage can be broken down into 4 steps:
Ideate: Different ideas and solutions are brainstormed here. The best idea bank is created when there is no bias or judgment towards the ideas presented
Select: The ideas brainstormed are narrowed down to a few which can give the best results. Plans for production can now be created
Implement: A prototype can now be created and the plan becomes a product.
Evaluate: In the final stage, the prototype should be tested and any tweaks necessary should be made. If the prototype does now perform as anticipated, further ideas may need to be brainstormed.
In our globally-linked economy, product development capabilities are the basis for successful competition.
Successful product development requires fundamentally improved approaches to organizing the development process, reducing waste, and providing products to meet customer needs to respond to global competition in our own markets as well as compete effectively on a global basis.
and time-to-market are key elements in competitive success.
LPD orients product design to customer needs and the company's production capabilities.
The traditional approach to improvement in U.S. manufacturing has been to break down the enterprise into more understandable functional units and work centres, study each one individually, and then optimize the operations of each unit.
This integration considers three dimensions:
Strategic integration to tie decision-making and the pattern of enterprise activities to a focused direction that allows an organization to distinguish itself in the marketplace.
Functional integration organizes and links the various functional areas of an enterprise to work together more effectively and optimize the whole.
Logistic or supply chain integration extends integration concepts beyond the manufacturer’s four walls to its customers and its suppliers.
Since product and process design has such a major influence on the competitiveness of the enterprise, it is especially critical that the design function be better integrated with the other functions of the enterprise.
This means integration within the engineering function (e.g., integration of both product design with process design and integration of electrical, mechanical and software design), integration of the design and engineering function with the rest of the enterprise, and integration of the engineering function with external organizations (customers and suppliers).
This integration will result in the release of more mature product designs which can be more effectively produced within a company's existing or planned production system and more effectively supported.
New product design and introduction lead time or time-to-market will be reduced to meet rapidly changing technology and customer demands and increase enterprise flexibility.
More specifically, the objectives of Integrated Product Development are:
The design of products to better meet customer needs and quality expectations
The design of processes or the consideration of process capabilities in designing products to produce products at a more competitive price
Reduction of product and process design cycle time or time-to-market to bring products to market earlier
High productivity through the release of producible designs and minimization of disruptive design changes
The accomplishment of these objectives requires an integrated approach to product and process design which considers the company’s business strategy. This integrated approach to product and process design rests on:
Alignment of product development with business strategy;
Organizational integration using product development teams or integrated product teams as a way to organize development activities;
A well-defined and optimized development process;
Integrated design automation tools oriented toward creating, analyzing and using digital product data to move a product into production;
Optimization of the product and process design to enhance manufacturability, testability, affordability, reliability, maintainability, etc.
In applying these tools and concepts, the organization must be re-structured, cultural issues considered, and communication among different functional units improved.
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