Product Architecture Modeling Research Articles

Extending the current model view definition standards to support multi-storey modular building projects

ABSTRACTBuilding Information Modelling (BIM) has significantly facilitated information management and collaboration in construction projects. During the past two decades, many information standards such as Information Delivery Manuals and Model View Definitions (MVDs) have been developed to enhance interoperability among construction-related tools. The focus of these standards has mainly been on conventional construction. In this paper, differences in the data structure of these two types of construction-related tools are discussed and compared with the current MVD standards. This study shows that the existing standards cannot fully support multi-storey modular buildings. By development of a product architecture model and comparing it with the data structure of current MVDs, it is concluded that available standards can be modified to support both modular and site-built constructions. In this paper, essential MVD concepts required for such extensions are presented. Through a case study, the developed concepts are applied to the currently available architectural-to-structural MVDs in order to create architectural to structural design/analysis MVDs for application to multi-storey modular buildings. The case study shows that using the presented concepts, an existing MVD can be extended to address special needs of multi-storey modular building projects as well as conventional construction.

Product Architecture Model for Multistory Modular Buildings

AbstractThe modular building construction method is the industry’s effort for industrialization of building construction. Similar to other types of production, a product information model is requir...

A multi-layered approach to product architecture modeling: Applied to technology prototypes

Companies that wish to include novel technology in the product portfolio may need to test and evaluate the technology with the use of prototypes to learn its benefits. Without clear knowledge of the benefits of the technology to the products in the portfolio, in the form of increased performance, added functions, or material savings, the prototype development can be hard to manage. In this article, two contributions are made. The first adds to the vocabulary of prototyping, defining technology prototype, a prototype used for testing a novel technology in the context of an existing product. The second is a tool to model and manage technology prototypes: the Technology Prototype Product Architecture Tool (TePPAT). The TePPAT is a product architecture tool with three main sections: Purpose, Concept, and Architecture. The TePPAT was tested in four industry cases, all part of a public–private partnership project to support the development of technology prototypes using electro-active polymer transducer technology. The findings showed that the TePPAT supported the development teams in the four cases. It is concluded that the TePPAT can support multidisciplinary development teams in modeling and managing technology prototypes and can be correlated with improvements in the team collaboration, communication, and development performance.

Concurrent Decision-Making of Product Architecture and Supply Chain Configuration

The product architecture at early product design stagte has important effects on product design, and supply chain design decision. Considering the mutual effects between product architecture and supply chian design, this paper proposed an improved current decision-making method for product architecture and supply chain configuration. Taking use of an improved product architecture model expression GBOM, we establish mixed integer programming model to optimize the supply chain configuration, which can concurrently determine the product architecture and supply chain configuration, as well as get minimized the total supply chain cost. The numeric example shows that the proposed method is valid.

Interface diagram: Design tool for supporting the development of modularity in complex product systems

For products with a myriad of systems, groups of specialised engineers develop entire technical sub-systems, and great effort is needed to integrate these systems for fulfilling the product’s intended properties describing its purposeful behaviour. This way of developing products gets even more complex when using a mass customisation strategy because standard designs (reusable modules) have to be designed to fit a range of products. This product development set-up requires that engineers working in different technical domains collaborate and are able to share information in a unified way. This article presents a visual design tool – the Interface diagram– which aims to support the engineering process of developing modularity in complex product systems. The tool is a model of a product system representing the arrangement of its elements and their interfaces. The tool has similar characteristics to a high-level product architecture model, aiming at supporting integration of technical sub-systems by documenting interfaces and interactions among components from different functional sub-systems and among different physical modules. One of the objectives for using the design tool is to support the activity of decomposing a product system into modules consisting of components developed by different engineering teams. The usefulness of the Interface diagram has been tested in an industrial development project showing positive results of shortening the lead time and minimising rework. Moreover, the Interface diagram has been used in interplay with a broader Product Lifecycle Management system. This allows the product structures from the Interface diagram to be enriched with detailed product documentation like computer-aided design, requirements, view models, design specifications and interface descriptions.

Implementation of product strategy with differentiated standards

This paper examines the relationships between mobile communication standards and product development strategy from a product architecture perspective. A product architecture model is useful in analysing research issues related to mobile phone product development. Samsung Electronics (SE)’s unique organisational capabilities are essential components of its product architecture strategy. This case study suggests several practical implications. First, implementing an effective product strategy requires that organisations are capable of managing different standards and platforms. Organisational networking capabilities enable rapid development and deployment of increasing product volume and variety in a changing global economy. Secondly, efforts to increase market positions within IT industries (the mobile industry in particular) have resulted in the adoption of global standards as an essential priority and as a competitive product positioning strategy. This requires timely implementation of strategic change initiatives (e.g., changes in technology standards). Third, managing product architecture is a strategic process that seeks a necessary balance between: 1 modularity demands for greater market access through rapid network production systems 2 integrality requirements for greater competitiveness through keeping technological core capabilities in-house. The analysis conducted in this article may be extended to software specialisation processes for advanced as well as emerging markets.