Design reuse framework: a perspective for lean development

Abstract

While the notion of reuse is around for a long time, its real potential is not exposed and exploited in product development. When reuse is applied through a knowledge centric process at low granularity level, it can help in reducing the development process wastes. In this article, a systematic and comprehensive reuse process framework is proposed by recycling the design knowledge and development artefacts in a seamless development process. In the proposed process framework, knowledge assets are created by decomposition, generalisation and parameterisation. These decomposed and atomised assets are used as reusable building blocks for the next level of product design. Requirements are modelled and testing is performed in virtual environment by auto generating the test cases and test vectors. Model-based development is demonstrated as an enabler of effective reuse. In this research, it is emphasised that model-based seamless development is instrumental for removing process waste and making the product development process lean.