Planning large-scale design projects is difficult due to a combination of structural variations in terms of task-connectivity patters and uncertainties concerning task durations, rework behaviour, requirements changes and resource availability. This paper uses generated, hypothetical models to explore how variations in design project structure - in terms of rework cycle duration and task connectivity level - are likely to impact plannability, and evaluates the findings against those for models of real industrial projects. Results show how the size and number of iteration loops impact the number of alternative task configurations that must be considered during planning. They also show that increasing connectivity between tasks is likely to adversely affect project schedules, particularly in the context of high-rework levels. In line with these and other insights obtained from the simulation analyses, heuristics for design planning are proposed.@en

This paper describes research on the use of multiple views for modelling products and processes in the design of complex products. Single visual representations of design models only provide a limited perspective, hiding important information from the designer. Based on an industrial case study with an engine company, the utility of multiple views in analysing model data is demonstrated. The case study showed an industrial need for improved visualisation techniques, as the currently used method - Gantt charts of design tasks - did not provide enough information in order to properly steer the design process and predict process behaviour. This approach of using a variety of different visualisation techniques together with improved techniques for modelling and simulating design processes provides insight into the hidden dependencies between the design artefact (the product) and its design process.@en

Successful realization of large-scale product development programs is challenging because of complex product and process dependencies and complicated team interactions. Proficient teamwork is underpinned by knowledge of the manner in which tasks performed by different design participants fit together to create an effective whole. Based on an extensive industrial case study with a diesel engine company, this paper first argues that the overview and experience of senior designers play an important part in supporting teamwork by coordinating activities and facilitating proactive communication across large project teams. As experts move on and novices or contractors are hired, problems are likely to occur as tacit overview knowledge is lost. If informal, overview-driven processes break down, the risk of costly oversights will increase, and greater management overhead will be required to realize successful product designs. Existing process models provide a means to express the connectivity between tasks and components thus to compensate partially for the loss of tacit overview. This paper proposes the use of design confidence, a metric that reflects the designer's belief in the maturity of a particular design parameter at a given point in the process, to address the limitations of existing models. The applicability of confidence-based design models in providing overview, as well as their shortcomings, will be demonstrated through the example of a diesel engine design process. Confidence can be used to make overview knowledge explicit and convey additional, information about the design artifact, thereby informing communication and negotiation between teams.@en

Planning the engineering design phase of NPD projects is non-trivial due to uncertainty from a number of sources. This research uses simulation of process models to explore project sensitivity to rework. Our results highlight the importance of iteration due to task failure by showing that different aspects of rework behavior have a major impact on project duration uncertainty@en

Planning of large scale design projects is difficult due to complex interdependencies between tasks and uncertainties concerning task duration, rework likelihood, rework behaviour, requirement changes and resource availability. This paper examines how different task rework behaviour affect project duration and considers the impact of varying task orders subject to resource constraints. Results of design project simulation, generated using the signposting approach, show how modifications to task rework behaviour have a major impact on project duration and that appropriate task ordering can reduce task rework.@en

Successful communication is vital for the success of any design project. However, communication often fails, adversely affecting design process efficiency and product quality. This is particularly true for complex products. As a result, designers and managers do not understand the connections between different aspects of design and don't know where to find out more information or who to talk to. This paper presents a new model, developed from current project planning techniques, which supports communication using parameter-specific data. It enables designers to question information, inform their colleagues pro-actively and assess the impact of changing parameter values on subsequent design tasks. Such interaction is critical in allowing designers to see how their own tasks fit into the overall product design.@en

A thorough understanding of change propagation is fundamental to effective change management during product redesign. A new model of change propagation, as a result of the interaction of form and function is presented and used to develop an analysis method that determines how change is likely to propagate. The analysis produces a Design Structure Matrix, which clearly illustrates change propagation paths and highlights connections that could otherwise be ignored. This provides the user with an in-depth knowledge of product connectivity, which has the potential to support the design process and reduce the product's susceptibility to future change.@en