State of the Art in Product Family Design and Evaluation

Abstract

This chapter describes the theoretical foundations as well as the current state of research in the areas of product family design and the evaluation of modular product structures. Thus, basic product architecture strategies, such as variant management, modular product family design and platform design, are presented. The research approaches are divided into the areas structural indicators, costing methods, universal methods and comprehensive methodologies which are subsequently evaluated against the previously postulated imperatives of effective decision-making. The chapter concludes with implications for an effective method to support decision situations in the context of developing modular product families.