Product design specification

About: Product design specification is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5057 publications have been published within this topic receiving 109601 citations.

System and method for delivering consumer product related information to consumers within retail environments using internet-based information servers and sales agents

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for finding and serving consumer product-related information over the Internet to consumers in retail shopping environments, as well as at home and work, and on the road. The system includes Internet information servers which store information pertaining to Universal Product Number (e.g. UPC number) preassigned to each consumer product registered with the system, along with a list of Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that point to the location of one or more information resources on the Internet, e.g. World Wide Web-sites, which related to such registered consumer products. Upon entering the UPC number into the system using a conventional Internet browser program running on any computing platform or system, the menu of URLs associated with the entered UPC number is automatically displayed for user selection. The displayed menus of URLs are categorically arranged according to specific types of product information such as, for example: product specifications and operation manuals; product wholesalers and retailers; product advertisements and promotions; product endorsements; product updates and reviews; product warranty/servicing; related or complementary products; product incentives including rebates, discounts and/or coupons; manufacturer's annual report and 10K information; electronic stock purchase; etc. Web-based techniques are disclosed for collecting the UPC/URL information from manufacturers and transmitting the same to the Internet-based databases of the system.

Integration analysis of product decompositions

Abstract: This paper describes a methodology for the analysis of product design decompositions The technique is useful for developing an understanding of the "system engineering" needs which arise because of complex interactions between components of a design This information can be used to define the product architecture and to organize the development teams The method involves three steps: 1) decomposition of the system into elements, 2) documentation of the interactions between the elements, and 3) clustering the elements into architectural and team chunks By using this approach, development teams can better understand the complex interactions within the system, thus simplifying the development process for large and complex projects arranged in chunks The choice of product architecture has broad implications for product performance, product change, product variety, and manufacturability Product architecture is also strongly coupled to the firm's development capability, manufacturing specialties, and product strategy Selecting the proper architecture of the product is an extremely influential decision which must be made during the concept development and system-level design phases of the project; the architecture defines the sub-systems upon which the team will work for the bulk of the development effort In product development, analysis of the product decomposition provides valuable insight into the structure of the problem and the choice of architecture The integration analysis presented in this paper considers the interactions which occur between the elements of the decomposition The building blocks (called chunks) which result from integration analysis can be used to define the product architecture and to structure the development teams Examples of architecture and team structure can be found in any highly engineered product In the automobile industry, development programs include hundreds or thousands of team members It would be impractical to design the entire vehicle at once (too complex); nor would it be possible to develop the thousands of components one at a time (too slow) The vehicle is decomposed into a few major systems: body, powertrain, chassis, interior, climate control, electrical, and trim Each of these major systems is in turn decomposed into a large number of sub-systems, resulting in hundreds of interconnected pieces with names like: passenger restraint system, fuel delivery system, remote entry system, etc Finally, these sub-systems are decomposed into component parts which are designed and tested individually and together The decomposition of the vehicle into sub-systems and components facilitates the rapid development of the individual pieces, yet this strategy does not address the needs for integration of the components' functions during the development process

Product family design and platform-based product development: a state-of-the-art review

Abstract: Product family design and platform-based product development has received much attention over the last decade. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art research in this field. A decision framework is introduced to reveal a holistic view of product family design and platform-based product development, encompassing both front-end and back-end issues. The review is organized according to various topics in relation to product families, including fundamental issues and definitions, product portfolio and product family positioning, platform-based product family design, manufacturing and production, as well as supply chain management. Major challenges and future research directions are also discussed.

Product lifecycle management

Abstract: Fundamentals.- Product lifecycle management systems.- Product structures.- Integration of the PLM system with other applications.- Deployment of the PLM system.- Business benefits of a PLM system.- Challenges of product management in manufacturing industry.- Service industry and PLM.- The role of product information management in collaborative business development.- Understanding the product lifecycle.- Product and product management strategy as a part of business strategy.- e-Business: electronic business and PLM.- Digest.

Product platform design and customization: Status and promise

Abstract: In an effort to improve customization for today's highly competitive global marketplace, many companies are utilizing product families and platform-based product development to increase variety, shorten lead times, and reduce costs The key to a successful product family is the product platform from which it is derived either by adding, removing, or substituting one or more modules to the platform or by scaling the platform in one or more dimensions to target specific market niches This nascent field of engineering design has matured rapidly in the past decade, and this paper provides a comprehensive review of the flurry of research activity that has occurred during that time to facilitate product family design and platform-based product development for mass customization Techniques for identifying platform leveraging strategies within a product family are reviewed along with metrics for assessing the effectiveness of product platforms and product families Special emphasis is placed on optimization approaches and artificial intelligence techniques to assist in the process of product family design and platform-based product development Web-based systems for product platform customization are also discussed Examples from both industry and academia are presented throughout the paper to highlight the benefits of product families and product platforms The paper concludes with a discussion of potential areas of research to help bridge the gap between planning and managing families of products and designing and manufacturing them