Assessing and Improving Commonality and Diversity Within a Product Family

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Alizon ◽  
Steven B. Shooter ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Product Differentiation ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Differentiated Products ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Family ◽  
Single Use

At a time when product differentiation is a major indicator of success in the global market, each company is looking to offer competitive and highly differentiated products. This differentiation issue is restricted by the design of platform-based products that share modules and/or components. It is not easy to differentiate products in a market that is often overwhelmed by numerous options. A platform-based approach can be risky because competition in the global market can become an internal competition among similar products within the family if there is not enough differentiation in the family. Thus, the goal for the product platform is to share elements for common functions and to differentiate each product in the family by satisfying different targeted needs. To assess commonality in the family, numerous indices have been proposed in the literature. Nevertheless, existing indices focus on commonality and reflect an increase in value when commonality increases but do not positively reflect an increase in the value as a result of diversity; hence, the Commonality versus Diversity Index (CDI) is introduced in this paper to assess the commonality and diversity within a family of products or across families. The CDI has variable levels of depth analysis to help designers design or improve the product family. Two case studies using single-use cameras and power tool families highlight the usefulness of this new index.

Assessing and Increasing Product and Family Differentiation in the Market

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Alizon ◽  
Steven B. Shooter ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Product Differentiation ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Product Function ◽  
The Family ◽  
Single Use ◽  
And Function ◽  
Differentiation Index ◽  
Family Differentiation

To help guarantee profit and stability in today’s global market, companies must focus on the differentiation of their products. Successfully differentiated products will attract customers, generate revenue and benefit the brand image, whereas a banal product can lose money and leave a bad impression in the market. Many large companies have recently lost significant market share in part due to poor product differentiation. This paper introduces four indices to assess this differentiation at two levels—family and market—based on product function and function attributes. At the family level, the Product Differentiation Index (PDI) assesses the differentiation between a product and other products in the rest of the family and also the differentiation within the family. At the market level, the Family Differentiation Index (FDI), Family Coverage Index (FCI), and Family Un-coverage Index (FUI) assess the differentiation, the coverage, and the un-coverage of a family with another, and/or with the rest of the market, respectively. These indices help designers and marketers evaluate the positioning of their products and support product family planning. A case study involving two competitive single-use camera families is presented.

Two Methodologies for Identifying Product Platform Elements Within an Existing Set of Products

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth D. Steva ◽  
Elizabeth N. Rice ◽  
Tucker J. Marion ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson ◽  
Robert B. Stone
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Product Families ◽  
Product Platforms ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Development Costs ◽  
Family Analysis ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Single Use

As companies are pressured to decrease product development costs concurrently with increasing product variety, the need to develop products based upon common components and platforms is growing. Determining why a platform worked, or alternatively why it did not, is an important step in the successful implementation of product families and product platforms in any industry. Unfortunately, published literature on platform identification and product family analysis using product dissection and reverse engineering methods is surprisingly sparse. This paper introduces two platform identification methodologies that use different combinations of tools that can be readily applied based on information obtained directly from product dissection. The first methodology uses only the Bills-of-Materials and Design Structure Matrices while the second utilizes function diagrams, Function-Component Matrices, Product-Vector Matrices, and Design Structure Matrices to perform a more in-depth analysis of the set of products. Both methodologies are used to identify the platform elements in a set of five single-use cameras available in the market. The proposed methodologies identify the film advance and shutter actuation platform elements of the cameras, which include seven distinct components. The results are discussed in detail along with limitations of these two methodologies.

scholarly journals Les Rites de Passage Lors de la Separation Parents-Enfant

1983 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-90
Author(s):  
Gaétane Lefebre ◽  
Monique Morval
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Study ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Family System ◽  
Rite Of Passage ◽  
Marriage Ceremony ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Family ◽  
Child Separation ◽  
Parent Child

This exploratory clinical study examines the circumstances surrounding the departure of a family member at the time of marriage. An in-depth analysis of 10 case studies of parents suggests that marriage is an excellent rite of passage for the delineation of parent-child separation. Cohabitation fosters a progressive detachment but remains a period of transition. The choice of the rituals for the marriage ceremony provides an index of the fluctuations occurring in the family system.

A Variation-Based Methodology for Product Family Design

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raviraj U. Nayak ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Small Deviations ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Input Design ◽  
Design Variables ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Common

Abstract In recent years, considerable research has been directed towards the development of methods for designing families of products. In this paper, we present a Variation-Based Platform Design Methodology (VBPDM), which aims to satisfy a range of performance requirements using the smallest variation of the product designs in the family. In the first stage of the VBPDM, the common product platform around which the product family is to be developed is identified. A ranged set of solutions is found, represented by the mean and standard deviation of the input design variables, to meet a range of the different performance requirements for the product family. During this first stage, a compromise Decision Support Problem (DSP) is used to optimize the commonality goal that seeks to minimize the deviation of the input design variables, while satisfying the range of performance requirements. Those design variables that show small deviations are held constant to form the product platform. In the second stage of the VBPDM, each individual product is designed around the common platform such that the functional requirements of the product are best satisfied. As an example, the proposed method is used to develop a family of universal electric motors designed to meet a range of torque requirements. The results are compared against previous work.

Production Cost Modeling to Support Product Family Design Optimization

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaeil Park ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Production Cost ◽  
Cost Model ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Optimization Methods ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Decision Based Design

Product family design involves carefully balancing the commonality of the product platform with the distinctiveness of the individual products in the family. While a variety of optimization methods have been developed to help designers determine the best design variable settings for the product platform and individual products within the family, production costs are thought to be an important criterion to choose the best platform among candidate platform designs. Thus, it is prerequisite to have an appropriate production cost model to be able to estimate the production costs incurred by having common and variant components within a product family. In this paper, we propose a production cost model based on a production cost framework associated with the manufacturing activities. The production cost model can be easily integrated within optimization frameworks to support a Decision-Based Design approach for product family design. As an example, the production cost model is utilized to estimate the production costs of a family of cordless power screwdrivers.

Focused Product Family Improvement

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Ye ◽  
John K. Gershenson
Keyword(s):  
Diversity Index ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Product Families ◽  
Customer Needs ◽  
Cost Structures ◽  
Improvement Method ◽  
Single Use ◽  
Market Needs ◽  
Family Evaluation

Manufacturers in various industries are seeking to redesign their existing product families to better satisfy their diverse customer needs while maintaining competitive cost structures. Failure to carefully balance the commonality/variety tradeoff during product family redesign will catastrophically hamper the widely sought benefits of both appropriate commonality and variety. Existing product family redesign approaches often focus on increasing the degree of commonality or variety unilaterally and to their utmost, without considering the appropriate commonality/variety tradeoff based on both marketing and engineering resource concerns. The result is redesigned product families that are unachievable or much delayed. In this paper, the Focused Product Family Improvement Method (FPFIM) is proposed to help manufacturers utilize their limited engineering efforts to efficiently respond to market needs using their own competitive focus and commonality/variety tradeoff analysis. This method uses a graphical evaluation tool, the Product Family Evaluation Graph, to determine the necessary direction of improvement for product family redesign — either increasing appropriate commonality or increasing appropriate variety. A set of indices, the Commonality Diversity Index for commonality and variety, support the FPFIM in identifying components with undesirable commonality or undesirable variety, prime targets of redesign to satisfy the redesign intent. To illustrate the proposed method, an example application with four single-use camera families is presented.

Recommending a Platform Leveraging Strategy Based on the Homogeneous or Heterogeneous Nature of a Product Line

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Alizon ◽  
Steven B. Shooter ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Levels Of Abstraction ◽  
Product Families ◽  
The Family ◽  
Heterogeneous Nature ◽  
Single Use ◽  
And Function ◽  
Blue Jeans

Platform-based product development depends on many factors, including technology, cost, competition, and life cycle considerations, and many companies would benefit from knowing more about the nature of their product families and how they impact platform-based product development. We assert that the development of a product platform and its derivative family of products is also impacted by the homogenous/heterogeneous nature of the products being developed, which has received little attention in the engineering literature. The current study introduces an original metric for assessing the homogeneity/heterogeneity in a given family: the Homogeneity versus Heterogeneity Ratio (HHR), which works at two levels of abstraction, namely, family and function. This study focuses on the platform leveraging strategy and takes an interest in two other aspects of platform development: the specification of the family and the necessary differentiation. To support platform design, the HHRfamily and HHRfunction metrics quantify the ratio of homogeneity/heterogeneity in the family to recommend a platform leveraging strategy by highlighting homogeneous functions that support platform leveraging. Reverse engineering helps us to retroactively study three types of families (power tools, single-use cameras, and blue jeans) using HHRfamily and HHRfunction. In particular, we demonstrate: (1) quantification of the homogeneity/heterogeneity of a family of products based on their functions; (2) recommendation of a leveraging strategy based on HHR; (3) a new leveraging strategy, the combined leveraging strategy via cross leveraging; (4) how HHR can help designers to validate the product family specification; and (5) how HHR can highlight needs to differentiate a family of products other than through functions.

Modular Platform-Based Product Family Design

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier P. Gonzalez-Zugasti ◽  
Kevin N. Otto
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
Optimum Degree ◽  
Multiple Products ◽  
The Family ◽  
Subsystem Design ◽  
The Common ◽  
Modular Platform ◽  
The Individual

Abstract In this paper we present a method for designing families of products built onto modular platforms. A product platform is the set of components and subsystems shared across multiple products offered by a firm. A modular platform is one that allows for swapping of modules to configure multiple products in a family. The problem of designing a family of products based on such a platform is formulated as an optimization exercise, from which an implementation is derived. The method allows for the design of the modules that are shared across multiple members of the family, or the platform, as well as the portions of the products that are individually designed, or the variants. The result is a candidate design for the product family: both the combination of which modules should be shared and across which of the products, and the desired settings for the shared modules and the individual portions of each variant. The procedure is illustrated by an example of the telecommunications subsystem design for a set of spacecraft. The optimum degree of commonality for the set of products is found, as well as optimum settings for the common modules.

Merge-Based Design: A New Method for Managing Variety and Improving Customization

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Alizon ◽  
Callida Williams ◽  
Steven B. Shooter ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Original Method ◽  
New Method ◽  
Common Structure ◽  
Internal Structures ◽  
The Family ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Single Use

With markets becoming more and more fragmented, the management of product variety becomes even more critical. Variety management needs to be continuously improved, especially for highly customized products. Although new techniques are constantly being developed, variety is still an issue, and there is room for complementary assistance to manage variety in the final design. In this context, we propose an original method — merge-based design — to manage variety in a product family better. The proposed method targets the already-tailored (unique) components to reduce the number of variant components in the family. Merge-based design also facilitates customization by enabling designers to reduce non-beneficial variety within a family. The proposed method is described and then illustrated via a case study involving two existing internal structures from single-use cameras. Finally, to highlight for improving customization, a proposed new camera is created using the resulting common structure with a different exterior casing. This new method can be applied during detailed studies as well as in the early stages of the design process.

Product Family Development Based on a Flexible Product Platform

2012 ◽  
Vol 201-202 ◽  
pp. 798-803
Author(s):  
Yan Li Huang ◽  
Xiang Dong Dai ◽  
Yu Ting Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Market ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Family Development ◽  
Development Trends ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Future Design ◽  
Depth Analysis

This paper discusses product family development on a flexible product platform. It firstly analyses furniture product market positioning,product type and future trends, then, by depth analysis of furniture product market development trends, draws the predictable part in the development trends to guide the design of furniture product,at the same time, analyses potential consumer needs and trends in unpredictable direction to identify future design attributes and design parameters, creates a design parameter matrix to obtain main design parameters,through the main parameters mapped to the physical structure (shape and structure of furniture product),and finds out core shape and furniture structure. By above analysis of a flexible product platform,based on this platform, combining the optional elements with variant design elements, we can design a series of furniture product family.

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