Showing papers on "Product design specification published in 1990"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe and illustrate several simple conceptual tools that can help in discovering ways that information technology can be used to personalize both products and customer service, and a customer service life cycle is presented which can assist in using information technology to revitalize customer service at various stages.
Abstract: Executive Overview The era of mass production and mass merchandising has given us an abundant cornucopia of products but has often done so at a considerable cost to customer service. Progress in information technology permits a return to an earlier era of hometown service, when customers were treated as individuals, products were often tailored to personal needs, and customer support was provided throughout the product's life cycle. In this article, we describe and illustrate several simple conceptual tools that can help in discovering ways that information technology can be used to personalize both products and customer service. A customer service life cycle is presented which can assist in using information technology to revitalize customer service at various stages. For instance, a customer facing a complex range of product choices or features might be provided with an expert system to assist in product specification. Seven basic questions permit us to examine a business as it currently operates and of...
122 citations
01 Feb 1990
TL;DR: The author describes how various agents, often with conflicting goals, can resolve their differences, integrate their results, and produce a unified specification.
Abstract: Negotiation is part of specification; during specification acquisition, users negotiate among themselves and with analysts During specification design, designers negotiate among themselves and with a project leader The author reports on work concerned with multiagent specification design He describes how various agents, often with conflicting goals, can resolve their differences, integrate their results, and produce a unified specification Such bargaining behavior is both ubiquitous in complex specification and unrepresented by current methods Automated means to promote integrative behavior during specification are presented Formal models of users' desires and resolution methods are necessary for integrative reasoning >
82 citations
Book•
01 Mar 1990
TL;DR: The need for the process of total design, the need for good design management successful design through product status, the improved process of overall design, and a system for total design management of products are discussed in this paper.
Abstract: The need for the process of total design the need for good design management successful design through product status the improved process of total design a system for total design management of products a worked example of the system an example of the need for the product definition. Appendices: the research that led to this book market research.
59 citations
TL;DR: It is argued here that many of the problems stem from an insufficient user orientation on the part of the specifiers, and a novel approach to requirements specification is described: this is the User Skills and Task Match (USTM) methodology.
51 citations
TL;DR: A conceptual framework for the analysis of product improvement is presented, arguing that user requirements and product characteristics can often be discovered only if the product is actually used, sometimes for a long period of time.
44 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1990
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors define a software development process to define a Software Development Process and define Product Objectives: Providing Direction for the Solution, Product Specifications: Defining the Final Product, Product Ease of Use.
Abstract: Defining a Software Development Process. Discipline: The Glue That Holds It All Together. Communicating in Harmony. Project Schedule Planning: Getting in Control. Project Tracking: Staying in Control. Planning for Quality. Managing Priorities Effectively. Product Requirements: Understanding the Customer's Problem to Solve. Product Objectives: Providing Direction for the Solution. Product Specifications: Defining the Final Product. Product Ease of Use. Development Testing: Strengthening the Weak Link. Vendor Relationships. Postproject Review: Understanding the Past to Improve the Future. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.
29 citations
TL;DR: It is shown how design time testing can be used in conjunction with formal specification and that such an approach offers positive benefits by providing early design validation and a controlled, disciplined design process.
Abstract: It is shown how design time testing can be used in conjunction with formal specification. Emphasis is placed on the benefits of using an executable specification language OBJ, of having a design controlled by requirements specification, and of adherence to the regularity and uniformity hypotheses in dynamic validation. It is shown that such an approach offers positive benefits by providing early design validation and a controlled, disciplined design process. >
25 citations
01 May 1990
TL;DR: This stage is traditionally considered as the most informal one of the life-cycle stages, but the choice of a model best suited for this purpose is still an open issue.
Abstract: The use of formal language is a way to introduce rigour in the specification of the requirements for information systems. This stage is traditionally considered as the most informal one of the life-cycle stages. Thus, the choice of a model best suited for this purpose is still an open issue.
23 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate that a systems approach, with participants drawn from the entire marketing system, can be very effective in developing ergonomically satisfactory product designs, and they also show that an ergonomic designed product, with input from the whole marketing system is well accepted by the market and does pay off its development costs.
20 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the importance of development speed relative to the product's cost, performance, and development expense is discussed, and it suggests ways in which a company can cut development time.
Abstract: In today's highly competitive industrial environment, those who are slow in bringing new products to market often lose out to those with a more agile development process. Developing products quickly while maintaining cost and quality demands a distinctive management approach that integrates marketing, engineering, manufacturing, and other activities. This article discusses the importance of development speed relative to the product's cost, performance, and development expense, and it suggests ways in which a company can cut development time. Topics covered include top management involvement; product objectives and complexity, team composition and leadership; communication vehicles, including the product specification; prototyping and testing; and control systems, such as design reviews.
18 citations
01 May 1990
TL;DR: The use of rules are proposed as a natural means for expressing the application domain knowledge, and a number of techniques such as semantic prototyping and animation are introduced for the validation of the requirements.
Abstract: Requirements specification has only recently been acknowledged as one of the most important phases in the overall software life cycle. Since the statement of a complete and consistent set of requirements involves user participation, our approach investigates how user oriented formalisms and techniques could be employed for the specification and capturing of requirements. We propose the use of rules as a natural means for expressing the application domain knowledge, and introduce a number of techniques such as semantic prototyping and animation for the validation of the requirements.
TL;DR: This study focuses on some key points of a case of improving future product development to win a sales competition by reinforcing the strength of a product whose position as a market leader has been overtaken by a competitor.
TL;DR: The Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES–F) can be used to provide appropriate information of use for quality control, product development and product specification.
Abstract: The clothing manufacturing industry is an important user of the products of the dyeing and finishing industry. Major advances in Japan have shown that the use of mechanical property data can assist the dyer and finisher in providing products that are sufficiently consistent for their efficient conversion into clothes. The Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES–F) can be used to provide appropriate information of use for quality control, product development and product specification. Current uses and applications are discussed.
01 Jan 1990
TL;DR: Design philosophy and characteristics of BTRON2 specifications, which call for a layered modular structure to enhance the maintainability, support for distributed architecture, and extensibility, are described.
Abstract: BTRON2 specification for operating systems for workstations is a logical successor to an earlier BTRON1 specification. The BTRON2 specification has clarified some internal structures of the OS and has added functions assuming the existence of ample hardware resources on personal computers in the immediate future. BTRON2 specification calls for a layered modular structure to enhance the maintainability, support for distributed architecture, and extensibility. Design philosophy and characteristics of BTRON2 specifications are detailed in this paper.
TL;DR: In conclusion problems in determining the usability and effectiveness of the method are discussed as well as how to adapt the method to fit the world of professional design practice.
Abstract: The Product Safety Method is a method to detect and solve product safety problems. It consists of two parts, analysis and synthesis. The analysis can be used to evaluate products on their safety, by gaining insight into possible accidents with the product and into critical factors connected with either the product, the actions of the user or environmental conditions. The synthesis offers a structured list of solution strategies for the generation of effective solutions to the detected safety problems. The method may be used by both ergonomists and product designers. In conclusion problems in determining the usability and effectiveness of the method are discussed as well as how to adapt the method to fit the world of professional design practice.
25 Jun 1990
TL;DR: Three main concepts concerning safety and the use of formal specification and rule techniques are described and it is shown how they have been used in the verification of the implementation of a sophisticated torpedo system containing onboard computing for target acquisition and approach.
Abstract: Three main concepts concerning safety and the use of formal specification and rule techniques are described. They are safety analysis leading to a list of safety requirements, deriving a formal specification from a list of safety requirements, and formally proving that an implementation satisfies its specification. All three must be covered satisfactorily before a system can be considered safe. It is shown how these techniques have been used in the verification of the implementation of a sophisticated torpedo system containing onboard computing for target acquisition and approach. The specification of the most safety-critical features is written in an object-oriented process specification format which is a variant of the Z notation. The MALPAS static analysis tool is introduced and used to verify that the functionality of the implementation of the safety features formally satisfies its specification and hence safety requirements. Verifying the MALPAS-logic-derived specification against the original implementation indicated that a problem existed in the hardware check section of the design. As a result the implementation was modified. >
TL;DR: The authors define the notions of specification and design and propose a model that can be used in the measurement-based quality assurance of both.
Abstract: Specification and design have a decisive influence over the quality of software and software-based systems. Much of the value of products is vested in the specification and in early phases of design. Yet the concepts of specification and design are poorly understood, and the practice of quality assurance of specifications, as products in their own right, has not been established. The authors define the notions of specification and design and propose a model that can be used in the measurement-based quality assurance of both. The model is illustrated in an example relating to a very simple communication system.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a new product implementation process which is designed to reduce the risk inherent in new product introductions in consumer markets and accelerate the pace of product development and implementation.
Abstract: This article presents a new product implementation process which is designed to reduce the risk inherent in new product introductions in consumer markets. This process describes methods that enable a firm to exert greater control over internal and external factors critical to successful new product introductions and to accelerate the pace of product development and implementation.
06 Nov 1990
TL;DR: Two distinct major roles for a software specification are identified: as a contract between parties involved in system development and as a blueprint for the design and implementation of the system.
Abstract: The authors focus on the problems of specification of an expert system namely, what needs to be specified, what can be specified and how. Two distinct major roles for a software specification are identified: as a contract between parties involved in system development and as a blueprint for the design and implementation of the system. It is shown that these purposes require quite different specifications. The role of specification as a contract is taken by the problem specification, which essentially describes what system is to be built. The blueprint specification is complementary, and describes how the system is to be built, including a description of the knowledge to be used and a description of how to represent and reason with that knowledge. >
01 Mar 1990
TL;DR: A specification process based on the concept that a specification consists of three subprocesses (elaborate, design, and evolve) which are mutually independent, which is described as specifications described as constraints.
Abstract: Proposes a specification process based on the concept that a specification consists of three subprocesses (elaborate, design, and evolve) which are mutually independent. Elaboration, design, and evolution are improvements that are based on elicitation, analysis and formalization, and validation of the specification process. The authors also describe the generation of a production system-like prototype program from specifications described as constraints. Finally, they present an example that uses this prototype program. >
TL;DR: In this paper, a rear engine riding lawn mower is used to demonstrate the process of design optimization in relation to key competitive products already in the market, and the experimental and analytical CAE tools are shown to aid the design process significantly once the design objectives are quantified.
Abstract: SUMMARY A product development process, beginning with the formulation of a market-directed product plan and culminating in the final production design of a consumer product, is illustrated in this paper by utilizing the example of a new product line of rear engine riding lawn mowers. At each step of the design process, a number of subjective design issues must be quantified to allow the selection and optimization of the various design alternatives. The ergonomic design issues leading to qualitative design decisions and also requiring structural and vibrational design techniques are described. A specially devised goodness of vibration factor for quantifying operator comfort is utilized to demonstrate the process of design optimization in relation to key competitive products already in the market. Both the experimental and the analytical CAE tools are shown to aid the design process significantly once the design objectives are quantified.