A Hierarchical Modeling Scheme With Non Functional Requirements

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prabhu Shankar ◽  
Beshoy Morkos ◽  
Joshua D. Summers
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Hierarchical Modeling ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Industrial Case Study ◽  
Design Information ◽  
Working Principle ◽  
Multiple Domains

This paper presents a sequence of multi domain matrix based modeling scheme, that includes non functional design requirements, to capture conceptual design information. The current matrix based modeling schemes are congruent to the steps followed in typical design processes but are limited to functional requirements. An industrial case study is analyzed to understand how and where the non functional requirements contribute to the design. It is observed from the case study that the non functional requirements drive the design decision process and constrains the way the product functionality is realized. Based on the observations made in the case study, a sequence of multiple domains is proposed: functional requirements to functions, functions to working principle, working principle to non functional requirements, non functional requirements to components, components to design parameters, design parameters to test measures and test measures to tests. This sequence is realized in a matrix based hierarchical modeling scheme, to capture the conceptual design information.

scholarly journals Towards the formalization of non-functional requirements in conceptual design

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-469
Author(s):  
Prabhu Shankar ◽  
Beshoy Morkos ◽  
Darshan Yadav ◽  
Joshua D. Summers
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Requirements Modeling ◽  
Design Changes ◽  
Working Principle ◽  
Made In

Abstract This paper explores the formal roles of non-functional requirements’ (NFR) elicitation, definition, and verification in the early stages of an engineering design project. This is performed using a case study conducted at an automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) during the design and development of a rear bumper sub-system. The purpose of this exploration is to determine if NFRs should be formalized within requirements modeling scheme. This can capture conceptual design information to identify their impact on other requirements while conducting design changes. The modeling scheme in this paper consists of a sequence of following domains—requirements, functions, working principle, components, design parameters, test measures, and tests—that are mapped to each other using matrices. It is revealed through this case study that non-functional requirements drive much of the design decision-making process and constrain the manner in which the product functionality is realized. Hence, the inclusion of NFRs as a separate and distinct domain in the design process is critical to recognize their significance during design changes. Based on the observations made in the case study, the NFR domain is included in the requirements modeling scheme.

Integration of Conceptual Design and MOKA into CATIA v5: A Knowledge-Based Application for an Aircraft Y-Bolt Component

2012 ◽  
Vol 271-272 ◽  
pp. 974-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pai Zheng ◽  
Víctor Hugo Torres ◽  
José Ríos ◽  
Gang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Quality Function Deployment ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Knowledge Reuse ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Design Information ◽  
Overall Design ◽  
Knowledge Based

The design process comprises the Conceptual Phase, the Embodiment Phase and the Detail Design Phase in which commercial PLM/CAD systems mainly support the latter ones. This situation causes the discontinuity in the overall design information flow: Customer Needs (CNs) - Functional Requirements (FRs) – Design Parameters (DPs) – Key Characteristics (KCs) – Geometric Parameters (GPs). There is also a lack of knowledge reuse in routine design process, resulting in large cost-waste of the overall design process. Aiming to enhance the continuity of the design information flow and facilitate the knowledge reuse, this paper makes use of a knowledge-based framework to integrate conceptual design tools: Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Axiomatic Design (AD), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and the MOKA methodology into CATIA v5 system. A knowledge-based application (KBA) on the large aircraft y-bolt component design is presented as a case study to validate the proposed framework. The result shows how this novel integrated framework and KBA system could benefit designers in a practical way.

scholarly journals On systematically building a controlled natural language for functional requirements

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Veizaga ◽  
Mauricio Alferez ◽  
Damiano Torre ◽  
Mehrdad Sabetzadeh ◽  
Lionel Briand
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Natural Language ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Industrial Case Study ◽  
Requirements Specifications ◽  
Financial Domain

AbstractNatural language (NL) is pervasive in software requirements specifications (SRSs). However, despite its popularity and widespread use, NL is highly prone to quality issues such as vagueness, ambiguity, and incompleteness. Controlled natural languages (CNLs) have been proposed as a way to prevent quality problems in requirements documents, while maintaining the flexibility to write and communicate requirements in an intuitive and universally understood manner. In collaboration with an industrial partner from the financial domain, we systematically develop and evaluate a CNL, named Rimay, intended at helping analysts write functional requirements. We rely on Grounded Theory for building Rimay and follow well-known guidelines for conducting and reporting industrial case study research. Our main contributions are: (1) a qualitative methodology to systematically define a CNL for functional requirements; this methodology is intended to be general for use across information-system domains, (2) a CNL grammar to represent functional requirements; this grammar is derived from our experience in the financial domain, but should be applicable, possibly with adaptations, to other information-system domains, and (3) an empirical evaluation of our CNL (Rimay) through an industrial case study. Our contributions draw on 15 representative SRSs, collectively containing 3215 NL requirements statements from the financial domain. Our evaluation shows that Rimay is expressive enough to capture, on average, 88% (405 out of 460) of the NL requirements statements in four previously unseen SRSs from the financial domain.

scholarly journals MULTI ATTRIBUTE ARCHITECTURE DESIGN DECISION FOR CORE ASSET DERIVATION

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahliza A. Halim ◽  
Dayang N. A. Jawawi ◽  
Noraini Ibrahim ◽  
M. Zulkifli M. Zaki ◽  
Safaai Deris
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Software Reuse ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Architecture Design ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Detail Design ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Study Implementation

Software Product Line (SPL) is an effective approach in software reuse in which core assets can be shared among the members of the product line with an explicit treatment of variability. Core assets, which are developed for reuse in domain engineering, are selected for product specific derivation in application engineering. Decision making support during product derivation is crucial to assist in making multiple decisions during product specific derivation. Multiple decisions are to be resolved at the architectural level as well as the detailed design level, address the need for assisting the decision making process during core asset derivation. Architectural level decision making is based on imprecise, uncertain and subjective nature of stakeholder for making architectural selection based on non- functional requirements (NFR). Furthermore, detail design level involves the selection of suitable features which have the rationale behind each decision. The rationale for the selection, if not documented properly, will also result in loss of tacit knowledge. Therefore, a multi-attribute architecture design decision technique is proposed to overcome the above mentioned problem. The technique combines Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) with lightweight architecture design decision documentation to support the decision making during core asset derivation. We demonstrate our approach using the case study of Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR). The case study implementation shows showed that the proposed technique supports software engineer in the process of decision making at the architecture and detail design levels.

Conceptual Design Using Generic Object Inheritance

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olof Johansson ◽  
Henric Andersson ◽  
Petter Krus
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Product Model ◽  
Complex Products ◽  
Business Jet ◽  
Product Models ◽  
Multiple Copies ◽  
The Impact

Conceptual design for complex products like aircraft and power plants requires a considerable effort since the product models become very large if they are to cover all important aspects for different stakeholders. To cope with this overall effort, designers have to rely on legacy designs and reuse, and improve the product concepts incrementally between product generations. This paper describes a generalized inheritance mechanism we call generic object inheritance that enables quick reuse and modification of conceptual product models at any level in their hierarchical break down structures. By facilitating reuse of conceptual models of previously well studied products, more time can be spent on developing the parts that contain the edge of a new product generation. This enables keeping the modified concepts in context of a complete analyzable product model where the impact of changes can be studied without having to maintain multiple copies of the same object structures. The paper describes how generic object inheritance is used for developing the next version of a conceptual product model of a small business jet, while reusing the essential parts of the previous version with minor modifications to design parameters and substructures. The design and core mechanisms of generic object inheritance are briefly described, and illustrated with examples from the case study.

scholarly journals Estimating the Impact of Design Automation: The Influence of Knowledge on Potential Estimation

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1943-1952
Author(s):  
Eugen Rigger ◽  
Alexander Lutz ◽  
Kristina Shea ◽  
Tino Stankovic
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Automation ◽  
Careful Attention ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Industrial Case Study ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Sufficient Knowledge ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAssessing the impact of design automation on design practice prior to its implementation is difficult and subject to uncertainties. One reason for this is the designers' lack of knowledge about design automation. In this work, an industrial case study focusing on conceptual design of hydraulic circuits is conducted to assess the impact of the designers' knowledge on design automation potential estimation. In particular, the impact of demonstrating a prototypical implementation of a design automation application is investigated as a means to enhance the designers' knowledge about design automation. In this respect, a given set of metrics is rated twice to enable a comparative study: prior to and after introducing the design automation prototype. The yielded results show that the knowledge impacts the rating and supports reliability of potential estimation. Further, it is shown that designers acknowledge design automation potential for the early stages of design given sufficient knowledge about design automation. Yet, the results also indicate that careful attention needs to be put on the aspects covered by the prototype in order to avoid biasing participants.

Functional Analysis Diagrams With the Representation of Movement Transitions

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Szu-Hung Lee ◽  
Pingfei Jiang ◽  
Peter R. N. Childs ◽  
Keith Gilroy
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Machine Elements ◽  
Physical Elements ◽  
Types Of Information

A study on utilising a graphical interface to represent movement transmission within products has been conducted to support a creative conceptual design process that separates the consideration of functional requirements and motion requirements. In engineering design, many representations of product structure have been proposed to assist in understanding how a design is constituted. However, most of these representations demonstrate only functions and are not able to demonstrate design structure. Functional Analysis Diagrams (FAD) provides a solution for this. An FAD shows not only functions but also physical elements by the network of blocks and arrows and thus it is capable of demonstrating various types of information and the design scheme. This characteristic gives FADs an advantage for designers to combine different types of information including useful and harmful interactions to gain an overview of the design task. This study focuses on using circles instead of arrows to represent movement attributes of mechanisms and machine elements in a Kinematic Functional Analysis Diagram (KFAD) and explores methods of utilising it in mechanical design. A commercial case study of medical equipment design conducted with the assistance of KFADs and a component database, mechanism and machine elements taxonomy (MMET), is described to illustrate the process. The design outcome shows that it is feasible to follow the proposed conceptual design process. With the help of KFADs and the machine elements taxonomy to enable consideration of movements, diverse considerations and design solutions are possible.

Challenges in Designing Mechatronic Systems

2012 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Mørkeberg Torry-Smith ◽  
Ahsan Qamar ◽  
Sofiane Achiche ◽  
Jan Wikander ◽  
Niels Henrik Mortensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Real World ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Mechatronic Systems ◽  
Design Task ◽  
Multiple Domains

Development of mechatronic products is traditionally carried out by several design experts from different design domains. Performing development of mechatronic products is thus greatly challenging. In order to tackle this, the critical challenges in mechatronics have to be well understood and well supported through applicable methods and tools. This paper aims at identifying the major challenges, by conducting a systematic and thorough survey of the most relevant research work in mechatronic design. Solutions proposed in literature are assessed and illustrated through a case study in order to investigate if the challenges can be handled appropriately by the methods, tools, and mindsets suggested by the mechatronic community. Using a real-world mechatronics case, the paper identifies the areas where further research is required, by showing a clear connection between the actual problems faced during the design task and the nature of the solutions currently available. From the results obtained from this research, one can conclude that although various attempts have been developed to support conceptual design of mechatronics, these attempts are still not sufficient to help in assessing the consequences of selecting between alternative conceptual solutions across multiple domains. We believe that a common language is essential in developing mechatronics, and should be evaluated based on: its capability to represent the desired views effectively, its potential to be understood by engineers from the various domains, and its effect on the efficiency of the development process.

A Knowledge Base Data Representation for Collaborative Mechanical Design

1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Nagy ◽  
David G. Ullman ◽  
Thomas G. Dietterich
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Data Representation ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Base System ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Design Information ◽  
Final Design

Abstract Collaborative design projects place additional burdens on current design documentation practices. The literature on group design has repeatedly documented the existence of problems in design decision making due to the unavailability of design information. This paper describes a data representation developed for collaborative mechanical design information. The data representation is used to record the history of the design as a sequence of design decisions. The resulting knowledge base records the final specifications, the alternatives which were considered during the design process, and the designers’ rationale for choosing the final design parameters. It is currently used in a computerized knowledge base system under development by the Design Process Research Group (DPRG), at the authors’ institution (OSU).

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