Title: Decision-making in product quality based on failure knowledge

Authors: Wei Dai; Paul G. Maropoulos; Wai Ming Cheung; Xiaoqing Tang

Addresses: School of Reliability and Systems Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK. ' School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK. ' School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

Abstract: Decision-making in product quality is an indispensable stage in product development, in order to reduce product development risk. Based on the identification of the deficiencies of quality function deployment (QFD) and failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), a novel decision-making method is presented that draws upon a knowledge network of failure scenarios. An ontological expression of failure scenarios is presented together with a framework of failure knowledge network (FKN). According to the roles of quality characteristics (QCs) in failure processing, QCs are set into three categories namely perceptible QCs, restrictive QCs, and controllable QCs, which present the monitor targets, control targets and improvement targets respectively for quality management. A mathematical model and algorithms based on the analytic network process (ANP) is introduced for calculating the priority of QCs with respect to different development scenarios. A case study is provided according to the proposed decision-making procedure based on FKN. This methodology is applied in the propeller design process to solve the problem of prioritising QCs. This paper provides a practical approach for decision-making in product quality.

Keywords: decision making; product quality; failure knowledge networks; FKN; decision making models; modelling; analytical network process; ANP; product development; quality function deployment; QFD; failure modes and effects analysis; FMEA.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLM.2011.043185

International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management, 2011 Vol.5 No.2/3/4, pp.143 - 163

Published online: 26 Mar 2015 *

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