Title: Sequencing of design tasks based on the degree of permissible concurrency

Authors: Esra Aleisa, Li Lin

Addresses: Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, Khaldia Bldg. # 8KH, 2nd floor, room 206, P.O. Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait. ' Department of Industrial Engineering, 412 Bell Hall, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, New York, USA

Abstract: Rapid product design and development are crucial factors to maintaining a competitive advantage in today|s intense market. Time-consuming iterative design cycles cause critical delays within the design development process. One widely applied method to identify such iterations is the design structure matrix (DSM). Due to its distinctive ability in consistently rearranging factors of a complex problem using subjective measures, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was requisitely applied to quantify DSM binary relations. Despite its advantages, AHP becomes intractable for large design problems, where substantial pairwise comparisons take place. The core contribution of this paper is overcome this drawback, thus facilitate faster sequencing of design tasks within a quantified DSM while utilising the benefits of AHP. This will lead to reducing time spent in iterating within design subcycles and eventually reduce time-to-market. The developed methodology is illustrated on a design of a low emission vehicle (LEV).

Keywords: design structure matrix; numerical DSM; tearing; design sequencing; analytical hierarchy processes; AHP; coupling thresholds; design tasks; product design; product development; design iteration; low emission vehicles; LEVs; vehicle design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAMS.2009.026198

International Journal of Applied Management Science, 2009 Vol.1 No.4, pp.367 - 387

Published online: 28 May 2009 *

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