Concept Testing & Product Architecture.pdf

Fall2005- ENGR 3200U 1

Concept Testing & Product Architecture


Case Study: Electric Scooter

The Concept:A three-wheeled electric-powered scooter that could be folded up and carried easily

The EmPower Corporation have developed a new product to address the personal transportation market.


Concept Development; Front-End ProcessInterrelated activities ordered roughly in the front-end process

Concept Testing


Seven Steps of Concept Testing

A seven steps process is suggested:1- define the purpose of the concept test2- Choose a survey population3- Choose a survey format4-Communicate the concept5- Measure customer response6- interpreter the results7- Reflect on the results and the process


Seven Steps of Concept Testing1- define the purpose of the concept test

Writing the questions that the team wishes to answer with the testQuestions like:-Which of several alternative concepts should be pursued?-How can the concept be improved ?-Approximately how many units are likely to be sold?-Should development be continued?



2- Choose a survey population

A population that mirrors the target market, Example of Sample sizes: 10 sample for a very specialized product1000 samples for a product for 10 million consumer

Two consumer segments; college students, urban commuters; they decided for a survey of 1000 customers.



2- Choose a survey population

Factors leading to relatively smaller or larger survey sample size:



3- Choose a survey format

Face to face interaction, telephone, postal mail, electronic email, internet.



4-Communicate the concept

Verbal description, sketch, photos and renderings, storyboard,

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., simulation, interactive multimedia, physical appearance model, working prototype, video

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Appropriateness of different survey formats for different ways of communicating

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5- Measure customer response

Attempt to measure the purchase intent

Response categories:Definitely would buyProbably would buyMight or might not buyProbably would not buyDefinitely would buy

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6- interpreter the results

Q =N A PQ= Quantity of the product expected to be sold during a time periodN= Number of potential customersA= Fraction of these potential customers for which the product is available and the customer is aware of the productP= Probability that the product is purchased (in case of availability and awareness)P = C definitely F definitely + C probably F definitelyF definitely is the fraction of survey responds indicating that they would definitely purchase F probably is the fraction of survey responds indicating that they would probably purchase

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6- interpreter the results

Calibration constants:C definitely Generally 0.1 < C definitely < 0.5

C probably Generally 0.1 < C probably < 0.25

Case Study: Scooters are currently sold to the market at a rate of 1,500,000 units per year (N=1,500,000) . A=0.25C definitely =0.4 F definitely = 0.3 C probably =0.2 F definitely =0.2

P = 0.4 0.3 + 0.2 0.2 =0.16

Q = 1,500,000 0.25 0.16 = 60,000 units/year

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7- Reflect on the results and the process

Getting feedback from the real potential customers,

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Case Study: HP Printer

Three HP printers from the same platform:An office model, a photo model and a model including scanning capability

A Hewlett-Packards product development team wants to respond to the pressures to increase the product variety and to reduce manufacturing costs.

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PlanningPlanning

Product Development Process

ConceptDevelopment

ConceptDevelopment

System-LevelDesign

System-LevelDesign

DetailDesignDetail

DesignTesting andRefinement

Testing andRefinement

ProductionRamp-Up

ProductionRamp-Up

Product architecture is determined early in the development process.

Platform decision

Concept decision

Decomposition decision

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Case Study: HP Printer

Next step, team members asked:How would the architecture of the product impact their ability to offer product variety? What would be the cost implications of different product architecture?How would the architecture of the product impact their ability to complete the design within 12 months?

Ink jet printing had become the dominate technology for small office printing involving color. Good quality ink jet printers are available for less than $200. The total sale of three competitors together were millions per year. However as the market matured, commercial success required be turned to the subtle needs or more focused market segments and that the manufacturing cost be reduced.

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Product Architecture

Functional elements:Individual operations and transformations that contribute to the overall performance of the productFactions like: stop paper, or communicate with the host

Product can be thought of in both functional and physical terms

Physical elements:Parts, components and subassemblies that ultimately implement the products functionChunk:Major physical building blockEach chunk is made up of a collection of components that implement the functions of the productAttributes:The attribute of a product is the scheme by which the functional elements of the product are arranged into physical chunks and by which the chunks interact.

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ModularityThe most important characteristic of products architecture is modularity

The most modular architecture:1) Each functional element is implemented exactly with one physical chunk2) There are a few well-defined interactions between the chunks

Chunks

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Integral ArchitectureThe opposite of a modular architecture is an integral architecture

The Integral architecture:1) Functional elements are implemented using more than one

physical chunk2) A single chunk implement more than one function2) The interaction between chunks are ill defined

Chunks

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Product Architecture: DefinitionThe arrangement of functional elements into physical chunks which become the building blocks for the product or family of products.

Product

module

module

module

module

module

module

module

module

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Trailer Example: Modular Architecture

box

hitch

fairing

bed

springs

wheels

protect cargofrom weather

connect to vehicle

minimize air drag

supportcargo loads

suspend trailer structure

transfer loads to road

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Trailer Example: Integral Architecture

upper half

lower half

nose piece

cargo hanging straps

spring slotcovers

wheels

protect cargofrom weather

connect to vehicle

minimize air drag

supportcargo loads

suspend trailer structure

transfer loads to road

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Ford Taurus Integrated Control Panel

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Modular or Integral Architecture?

Motorola StarTACCellular Phone

RollerbladeIn-Line Skates

FordExplorer

AppleiBook

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Types of Modularity

Each interface is of a different type from the others, so no interchanging is possible

There is a common bus to which the other chunks connect via the same type of interface

All interfaces are of the same type, but there is no single element to which all the other chunks attach. Chunks are attached to identical interfaces

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When Is the Product Architecture Defined?

Product architecture begins to emerge during concept development.

It happens informally in the sketches, function diagrams and early prototypes of the concept development phase

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Establishing the Architecture

The end result of this activity is an approximate geometric layout, description of the major chunks and documentation of the key interactions among the chunk

A four steps process is suggested:1- Create a schematic of the product2- Cluster the elements of the schematic3- Create a rough geometric layout4- Identify the fundamental and incidental interactions

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The concepts of integral and modular apply at several levels:

system

sub-system

component

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Product Architecture = Decomposition + Interactions

Interactions within chunks

Interactions across chunks

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Establishing the Architecture1- Create a schematic of the productRule of thumb: aim for fewer than 30 elements in the schematic

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2- Cluster the elements of the schematic

Assigning each element of the schematic to a chunkClustering factors:-Geometric integration and precision-Function sharing-Capabilities of vendor-Similarity of design or production technology-Localization of changes -> Isolating changes-Accommodating variety -> easy to vary for customer needs-Enabling standardization -> chunks that are useful in other products-Portability of interfaces -> different portability of electrical signals, fluid connections and mechanical forces

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2-Cl

uste

r the

elem

ents

of t

he sc

hem

atic

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3- Create a rough geometric layout

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4- Identify the fundamental and incidental interactions

Fundamental interactions:Interactions corresponding to the lines on the schematic that connect the chunks to on another.A sheet of paper flows from the paper tray to the print mechanism. This interaction is plane and should be well understood from the earliest schematics, since it is fundamental to the systems operation.

Incidental interactions:Interactions that arise because of some physical or geometric arrangements.Vibration induced by the actuators in the paper tray could interfere with the precise location of the print cartridge.

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4- Identify the fundamental and incidental interactionsIncidental interactions:Interactions graphs or matrices

Slide Number 1Slide Number 2Slide Number 3Slide Number 4Slide Number 5Slide Number 6Slide Number 7Slide Number 8Slide Number 9Slide Number 10Slide Number 11Slide Number 12Slide Number 13Slide Number 14Slide Number 15Slide Number 16Slide Number 17Slide Number 18Slide Number 19Slide Number 20Slide Number 21Slide Number 22Trailer Example:Modular ArchitectureTrailer Example:Integral ArchitectureFord Taurus Integrated Control PanelModular or Integral Architecture?Slide Number 27Slide Number 28Slide Number 29The concepts of integral and modular apply at several levels:Product Architecture = Decomposition + InteractionsSlide Number 32Slide Number 33Slide Number 34Slide Number 35Slide Number 36Slide Number 37

Concept Testing & Product Architecture.pdf

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