Analysis and modelling of intertemporal relationships in lifecycle design: a case study for investment goods

The relevance of integrating the features of product operation and disposal in product design is growing very strongly in the business-to-business sector, as the purchasers of long-life products increasingly base their buying decision on a lifecycle ??prism??. Within the lifecycle several relationships exist, which may be of oppositional or complementary nature and face the designer with the problem of making decisions crucial to the entire lifecycle. This paper suggests an approach to modelling several cost interdependencies between different lifecycle stages, as available models of lifecycle design do not include these relationships. This developed approach was validated in a case study focused on the design improvement of an investment good aiming at the lowering of operating costs. The case study confirms the structure of the modelled relationships and delivers the first detailed analysis of the relationship between design costs and operating costs.