Analysing risk to function fulfilment: applying the function integrity diagnosis and documentation method

Abstract

Evolving requirements for multifaceted systems are increasing pressure on organisations to rapidly integrate novel features and functions from various design disciplines. This creates a design challenge not only to implement the novel features or functions into an existing system, but to also manage uncertainties around whether an adapted system fulfils its intended function. To ensure that such uncertainty does not eventuate into function failure, designers must be able to effectively analyse risk to function fulfilment as it emerges in design. This paper proposes the novel Function Integrity Diagnosis and Documentation (FIDD) method, which is aimed at supporting the adaptation of existing systems by offering an approach to advance risk assessment into earlier design stages. An industrial case study is presented to explain method application and demonstrate a proof of concept. The paper concludes with a discussion of impacts to related theory and limitations that motivate future research.