A multiple-domain matrix support to capture rationale for engineering design changes

Abstract

Design changes are necessary to sustain the product against competition. Due to technical, social, and financial constraints, an organization can only implement a few of many change alternatives. Hence, a wise selection of a change alternative is fundamentally influential for the growth of the organization. Organizations lack knowledge bases to effectively capture rationale for a design change; i.e., identifying the potential effects a design change. In this paper, (1) we propose a knowledge base called multiple-domain matrix that comprises the relationships among different parameters that are building blocks of a product and its manufacturing system. (2) Using the indirect change propagation method, we capture these relationships to identify the potential effects of a design change. (3) We propose a cost-based metric called change propagation impact (CPI) to quantify the effects that are captured from the multiple-domain matrix. These individual pieces of work are integrated into a web-based tool called Vatram. The tool is deployed in a design environment to evaluate its usefulness and usability.