Chapter 7 Concept Selection MSE-415: Product Design Lecture #7 Chapter 7 Concept Selection

Lecture Objectives: Turn in and discuss Homework #4 Discuss structured methods for selecting a single concept design from several available designs.

Concept Selection Concept selection is part of the overall concept development phase. Mission Statement Development Plan Identify Customer Needs Establish Target Specifications Generate Product Concepts Select Product Concept(s) Test Product Concept(s) Set Final Specifications Plan Downstream Development Perform Economic Analysis Benchmark Competitive Products Build and Test Models and Prototypes

Concept Selection Non-structured methods for choosing a concept: External Decision Product Champion Intuition Multi-voting Pros and Cons Prototype and Test Decision Matrices

Concept Selection External Decision Concepts are turned over to the customer, client, or some other external entity for selection.

Concept Selection Product Champion An influential member of the product development team chooses a concept based upon personal preference.

Concept Selection Intuition The concept is chosen by its feel. Explicit criteria or trade-offs are not used. The concept just ‘seems’ better.

Concept Selection Multi-voting Each member of the team votes for several concepts. The concept with the most votes is selected.

Concept Selection Pros and Cons The team lists the strengths and weaknesses of each concept and makes a choice based upon group opinion.

Concept Selection Prototype and Test The organization builds and tests prototypes of each concept making a selection based upon test data.

Concept Selection Decision Matrices The team rates each concept against pre-specified selection criteria, which may be weighted.

Concept Selection Structure Method – Offers Several Benefits Customer Focused Product Concepts explicitly evaluated against customer criteria. Competitive Design Benchmarking pushes the design to match or exceed competitor’s performance along key dimensions. Better product-process coordination Evaluation with respect to manufacturing helps match the product with the capabilities of the firm. Reduced time to product introduction Structured method becomes common language within firm. Increased communication, decreased ambiguity, fewer false starts. Effective group decision making Decision making based upon objective criteria and minimizes arbitrary or personal factors that influence product concept. Documentation of the decision process A structured method results in a readily understood archive of the rationale behind concept decisions.

Concept Development Funnel

Concept Selection Overview of Concept Screening Methodology Prepare a selection matrix Rate the concepts Rank the concepts Combine and improve the concepts Select one or more concepts Reflect on the results and the process

Concept Selection Prepare a selection matrix for syringe.

Concept Selection Rate the Concepts

Concept Selection Rank the Concepts

Concept Selection Combine and Improve Concepts

Concept Selection Select one or more concepts

Concept Selection Overview of Concept Scoring Methodology Prepare a selection matrix Rate the concepts Rank the concepts Combine and improve the concepts Select one or more concepts Reflect on the results and the process

Concept Selection Prepare a selection matrix Bolded 3’s indicate reference.

Next Week October 17, 2007 Homework due Page 140 Exercises 2, 3, 4 Read Chapter 8 – Concept Testing Discuss structured methods for evaluating concept designs.