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System‐level application of the evolutionary product development process to manufactured goods
Author(s) -
McDevitt Carol Ann,
Cahill Eric C,
Stambaugh Craig
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
systems engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.474
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1520-6858
pISSN - 1098-1241
DOI - 10.1002/sys.20000
Subject(s) - process (computing) , architecture , product (mathematics) , new product development , product engineering , computer science , incentive , software , product design , software engineering , manufacturing engineering , systems engineering , process management , engineering , business , economics , marketing , microeconomics , operating system , art , visual arts , geometry , mathematics
Current literature on software product development suggests that it is possible to develop the software architecture alongside the software itself using an evolutionary product development process. That is, engineers can delay finalization of product architecture until well along in the product development process. If there is a financial incentive to delay “freezing” the architecture until the latter stages of product development, could this process also be used for manufactured goods? This paper provides some examples of delayed architectural decisions, discusses when there might be financial incentives, and then shows some interesting new practices which might facilitate this process. It then comments on the applicability of this evolutionary approach to the development of the product architecture of manufactured goods, and concludes that manufactured goods can potentially realize the gains derived from an evolutionary approach to architectural design. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 7: 144–152, 2004