An evaluation framework for product planning using FANP,QFD and multi-choice goal programming

Technological innovation and satisfaction of customer needs are the keys to survival and success for firms, especially in global competitive high-tech industries. Since new products are usually a source of new sales and profits, the success of new product development (NPD) is essential to maintain a competitive edge and to make a decent profit in a longer term. Therefore, how to develop products that deliver the quality and functionality customers demand while generating the desired profits becomes an important task for the manufacturers. In this paper, a framework with two phases is constructed for facilitating the selection of engineering characteristics (ECs) for product design. In the first phase, quality function deployment (QFD) is incorporated with the supermatrix approach of analytic network process (ANP) and the fuzzy set theory to calculate the priorities of ECs with the consideration of the interrelationship among factors and the impreciseness and vagueness in human judgments and information. In the second phase, multi-choice goal programming model is constructed by considering the outcome from the first phase and other additional goals, such as NPD cost and manufacturability, in the attempt to select the most suitable ECs. A case study of the product design process of backlight unit (BLU) in thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry in Taiwan is carried out to verify the practicality of the proposed framework.     

基于结合分析的产品意象造型设计研究

为设计出符合消费者感性需求的产品,提出基于结合分析的产品意象造型设计方法。首先采用多元尺度法和聚类分析法选择典型样本,进而应用形态分析法确定产品的属性和各属性的水平。其次,利用因子分析法确定产品的感性意象,并用造型吸引力对其进行整合。在此基础上,使用对应分析法对感性意象和产品属性的关系进行探讨。最后,利用结合分析建立二者之间的数学模型。该文结合办公座椅进行研究,结果表明该方法是正确可行的。     

基于联合分析和模糊聚类的产品族客户需求模型研究

客户需求信息的准确获取与表达是产品族规划的首要环节,针对客户需求模型构建过程中需求信息具有抽象性、模糊性等特点,基于公理设计构建描述客户需求的模型,运用联合分析法对客户需求进行量化,将模糊的客户需求转换为具体的产品设计指标和参数.通过对指标和参数的相关性分析,建立产品设计关联矩阵.采用模糊最大树聚类算法对设计关联矩阵进行聚类分析,以聚类有效性指标为依据,得到最佳聚类阈值,从而获得最优聚类结果.在此基础上,利用最优聚类结果对设计关联矩阵进行解耦,最终得到解耦设计关联矩阵,为参数化产品族规划提供理论依据.最后,以圆柱齿轮减速器产品族规划为实例,验证了该方法的有效性和可行性.     

Integrating Kansei engineering with conjoint analysis to fulfil market segmentation and product customisation for digital cameras

Diverse customer desires coupled with technological advances have forced companies to manufacture products with ultimate performance, low cost, high quality and much shorter time-to-market. Recently, the popularity of smart phones has given rise to seriously declined product sales of digital cameras. In this paper, a two-phase framework is presented to offer decision supports on developing next-generation cameras. In the phase of market segmentation, Kansei engineering is employed to capture customer perceptions of affective features. Then, rough set theory is conducted to generate decision rules for partitioning the whole market into the consumer segment and the professional segment, respectively. In the phase of product customisation, conjoint analysis is applied to extract customer preferences for functional features. Furthermore, Grey relational analysis is conducted to select the top three varieties with regard to two distinct segments. In particular, this paper is capable to help brand companies or camera manufacturers better capture customer perceptions and preferences for digital cameras, effectively perform market segmentation (based on affective features) and efficiently conduct product customisation (based on functional features).     

基于QFD与AHP的老年人健身器械造型设计

目的为积极推进老龄化研究,满足老年人健身需求,完善老年人健身器械的设计方法。方法运用功能质量展开法(QFD)进行用户调研分析,完成老年人健身器械造型设计需求质量特性展开并形成多层次结构的设计指标;结合层次分析法(AHP)构建判断矩阵,计算得出各设计指标的权重值,以此完成设计决策,形成老年人健身器械造型设计创新方案,采用李克特7点量表法进行设计评价;以老年人健腹器造型创新设计作为实例,验证设计过程的科学性。结论作为针对老年人健身需求的产品造型设计,综合运用QFD与AHP相结合的分析方法进行设计指标决策,将有助于提高设计过程的科学性,形成符合老年人用户需求的产品造型意象,为同类产品设计提供参考。     

基于QFD和SIT的产品创新设计方法

针对产品在激烈的市场竞争中取得成功必须符合用户需求且具有创新性的现状,基于对用户需求和创新策略的系统分析,提出了一种基于QFD和SIT的产品创新设计方法.该方法通过挖掘目标产品的顾客需求,借助QFD质量屋分析顾客需求并获得技术特征间的关系,针对负相关应用SIT理论进行创造性求解,从而快速地获得相应的技术解决途径和方案....     

基于网络评论情感分析和QFD的产品改进设计

目的 分析产品在线网络评论,准确评估用户的使用反馈和需求信息,用于产品改进设计。方法 用网络爬虫采集购物网站的商品评论数据,引入百度AI开放平台的自然语言处理技术,对清洗后的评论数据进行情感分析,计算每条评论的情感极性,结合Nvivo文本分析和人工筛选,得到准确的用户评价。在质量功能展开(QFD)中,评论分析的结果用于产品的目标质量规划,根据质量屋得出的技术特性相对重要度,选择应重点改进的技术属性。结果 该方法发现了产品需要改进的多个重要设计问题,以无线手持吸尘器为例,对比传统调研方法的分析结果,验证该方法的有效性。结论 对网络评论大数据的AI情感分析结合QFD,能发现产品需要改进的大部分问题,具有重要的参考价值,能为产品改进设计提供新方法。     

A mixed integer goal programming model for discrete values of design requirements in QFD

A main feature of quality function deployment (QFD) planning process is to determine target values for the design requirements (DRs) of a product, with a view to achieving a higher level of overall customer satisfaction. However, in real world applications, values of DRs are often discrete instead of continuous. Therefore, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model considering discrete data is suggested. As opposed to the existing literature, the fulfilment levels of DRs are assumed to have a piece-wise linear relationship with cost; because, constraints of technology and resource rarely provides a linear relationship in manufacturing systems. In the proposed MILP model, we considered customer satisfaction as the only goal. But, QFD process may be necessary to optimise cost and technical difficulty goals as well as customer satisfaction. Therefore, by developing the MILP model with multi-objective decision making (MODM) approach, a novel mixed integer goal programming (MIGP) model is proposed to optimise these goals simultaneously. Finally, MILP model solution turns out to be a more realistic approach to real applications because piece-wise linear relationship is taken into account. The solution of MIGP model provided different alternative results to decision makers according to usage of the lexicographic goal programming (LGP) approach. The applicability of the proposed models in practice is demonstrated with a washing machine development problem.     

An integrated framework for product line design for modular products: product attribute and functionality-driven perspective

The purpose of this research is to facilitate original equipment manufacturers operating in a single market segment to frame their product line design strategy that pertains to offering right product attributes with right attribute level in the right product profile within a market segment. Through this research, we attempt to establish a link between functional level design of product attributes with commercial objectives of the enterprise. Initially, by deriving the functional importance of product attribute levels of individual product attributes within a product profile, demand and functional importance data are generated. Utilising the function-based cost estimating framework and multi-linear regression methodology, we determine the cost and product development time coefficients for respective product attributes. Finally, a mixed integer quadratic programming-based mathematical formulation is developed that includes maximisation of product premium and minimisation of various costs as major objectives under the assumption that manufacturer seeks to offer optimal number of product profiles within the market segment. Employing the commercial solver LINGO, the integrated framework is solved. The entire framework is illustrated using the operator cabin of heavy construction machinery.     

基于QFD和CBR的产品方案设计综合评价

利用最能反映顾客声音的质量功能展开(QFD)方法来生成方案评价的指标体系,确定评价指标的权重。在对指标进行一致化处理后利用线性综合评价模型实现对产品方案设计的综合评价。同时提出在进行多次应用后,采用基于实例推理(CBR,Case-Based Reasoning)的方法提取相似实例简化QFD的模型建立过程,并采用模糊聚类方法进行实例的检索。最后,应用一个典型实例展示了上述方法的实用性。     

基于QFD和TRIZ的儿童床改良设计

目的针对目前市场上婴儿床在安全性与经济性上不足,设计能够适应面向小户型住宅家庭儿童在不同年龄生长持续需要的儿童床。方法应用QFD建立新式儿童床HOQ,得到改进设计目标,找到4对技术冲突,即产品结构固化与儿童年龄变化、产品功能单一与儿童情感丰富、产品安全隐患与与儿童防护能力、产品多功能则体积大与儿童卧室容积小;应用TRIZ理论标准工程参数和发明原理来解决冲突。结论 QFD和TRIZ理论融合应用与儿童床改良设计找准了儿童床改良优先方向、提出了可行性设计方案、达到了生长持续的要求。     

基于QFD与TRIZ集成的小户型住宅茶几创新设计

目的 针对小户型住宅家具设计中缺乏有效方法的问题,探索适合小户型住宅的茶几创新设计方法。方法 首先通过文献了解小户型家具的设计现状及TRIZ与QFD理论在家具设计领域中的应用,发现TRIZ与QFD结合的家具设计流程中大多缺乏用户对设计的实践检验、问题反馈。其次通过对相关文献的研究,结合可用性测试法,提出了QFD与TRIZ集成的创新设计方法,并将其划分为三个设计阶段。最后通过设计实例,将该方法的三个阶段应用于小户型住宅的茶几创新设计中进行检验。结果 通过该方法的第一阶段和第二阶段,对小户型住宅茶几设计进行了分析,通过第三阶段得到了创新设计方案,并进行了模型产品的实践测试,检验了方案的有效性,根据实践反馈,进一步寻找出相应的改进点,改进后获得了最终设计方案。结论 通过该方法进行设计,能够更加直接地获得用户对实际使用问题的反馈,发现并解决了在设计过程中难以被发现的实际问题,提升了设计方案的可行性和有效性。     

A new methodological framework for design for additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers numerous benefits for innovative design solutions. However, engineers are currently not supported in identifying and incorporating these potentials systematically in their design solutions. In this paper, previous Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) approaches are first reviewed comprehensively and classified into distinct categories according to their main purpose and application. They are then analysed further by being related to conventional design methodologies like VDI 2221. Since previous DfAM approaches only provide selective assistance at single steps in the product development process, a new framework for DfAM is proposed. Existing methods and tools, both from DfAM and from general design methodologies, are integrated into the modular framework structure. A concept for using the framework is presented to provide design engineers with continuous support in all product development phases, thereby fostering the complete exploitation of AM potentials and the development of AM-conformal designs.     

A framework for affective customer needs in product design

A systematic framework is proposed to conceptualize customer needs in product design. Customer needs were derived for current and future electronic devices in automobiles. Subjects rated their preferences for 15 product attributes on 10-point semantic differential scales. Using factor analysis, three generic factors were extracted, namely holistic attributes, styling and functional design. Depending upon the familiarity of the device, there were clear differences among potential customers. Unknown devices such as a navigation map were assessed first hand by using holistic attributes. Familiar designs such as car radio and cell phone were assessed using styling and functionality attributes. Customer reactions and preferences may be caused by product design parameters that operate either through their perceptual attributes or from the experience they acquire in using the artifacts or interfaces. There are both functional and affective needs. Functional (or cognitive) customer needs can be derived top-down, using product design features. Affective customer needs are difficult to derive top-down—typically they are evaluated by looking at several design propositions.     

A unified modeling and solution framework for combinatorial optimization problems

Combinatorial optimization problems are often too complex to be solved within reasonable time limits by exact methods, in spite of the theoretical guarantee that such methods will ultimately obtain an optimal solution. Instead, heuristic methods, which do not offer a convergence guarantee, but which have greater flexibility to take advantage of special properties of the search space, are commonly a preferred alternative. The standard procedure is to craft a heuristic method to suit the particular characteristics of the problem at hand, exploiting to the extent possible the structure available. Such tailored methods, however, typically have limited usefulness in other problems domains.An alternative to this problem specific solution approach is a more general methodology that recasts a given problem into a common modeling format, permitting solutions to be derived by a common, rather than tailor-made, heuristic method. Because such general purpose heuristic approaches forego the opportunity to capitalize on domain-specific knowledge, they are characteristically unable to provide the effectiveness or efficiency of special purpose approaches. Indeed, they are typically regarded to have little value except for dealing with small or simple problems.This paper reports on recent work that calls this commonly held view into question. We describe how a particular unified modeling framework, coupled with latest advances in heuristic search methods, makes it possible to solve problems from a wide range of important model classes.Correspondence to: Gary A. Kochenberger.This research was supported in part by ONR grants N000140010598 and N000140310621.     

A framework for designing a supply chain distribution network

Based on the analysis of the pertinent literature, we propose a framework to serve as a guide in designing a distribution network as a component of a supply chain (SC). It consists of three steps that are common to goods and services SCs: position of the decoupling point, structure of the network, and product delivery. For each step, we take into account the peculiarities of both goods and services separately in order to establish a list of available options and evaluate their suitability in relation to the relevant factors that characterise the products and the markets.     

A data-driven approach for the optimisation of product specifications

In order to develop the profit-maximising, market share-maximising or cost-minimising bundle of product engineering specifications with proper performance levels, an optimisation model driven by operating data is proposed. The operating data are input as the sources to conduct the optimisation and a data-based customer satisfaction function can be formed. Then, a customer choice model developed from the customer satisfaction is constructed to estimate the customer choice probability. The expected market share (EMS) then can be derived from the choice probability. After all, a multi-objective model is constructed to maximise the EMS and minimise the total engineering cost. The candidate Pareto-optimal solutions can be obtained by solving the optimisation model. Then a membership function is defined to select the optimal solution from the Pareto-optimal solutions. A case study for optimising the smartphone’s specifications is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the newly developed approach. Compared with the commonly used Conjoint Analysis (CA) method in determining the most desired levels for product specifications, the proposed data-driven method can avoid the situation where the user’s preferences are irrational, making the proposed method be more practical in measuring customer preferences than the utility-based model.