Complex system design technique

Abstract

The development of concepts for new generations of products that are located at the convergence of various cutting-edge technologies requires: integration of knowledge from different fields of science and technology; the management of non-linear interactions of technical, cognitive and organizational nature; the handling of multiple and inconsistent information; innovative solving of negative correlations between different system's characteristics, etc. Despite specialists’ experience, empirical approaches to the synthesis process for this category of products do not represent a reliable solution. An innovative tool for the systematic management of the synthesis process of complex innovative products is introduced in this paper. It is called the complex system design technique (CSDT) and incorporates a set of coefficients and a specific algorithm that take data from product performance planning process (e.g. data extracted from QFD-type matrices) for the formulation of a working scheme for system design (WSSD). This scheme represents a practical tool for the new product synthesis (design) process. It also allows systematic integration of innovation and analysis tools (e.g. TRIZ, AFD, Pugh, Design-FMEA, etc.) in the product synthesis process.