Research

Designers from several disciplines coordinate their work to design a tunnel. This post describes a scientific case study of how to produce an integral design more efficiently.

Sector: Private

Industry: Construction

Domain: Tunnels

Current situation

Results. The design and construction of a tunnel involves a team of designers from seven different disciplines. In a tunnel engineering project, they produce seven partial designs of a tunnel, one for each discipline, together forming an integral design. When they find alignment conflicts in the integral design, they resolve them by modifying their partial designs.

Environmental factors. A tunnel engineering project is a tender project. In the preparation phase, the information needed for design is limited. During execution, time and money are limited.

Challenge. The more alignment conflicts in a design, the more effort, time, and money it takes to resolve them.

Ambition

Goal. Reduce design rework.
Objective. Minimize effort to align partial designs.
Benefit. Faster delivery.
Estimate. Worthwhile.

Capability

Function. Draft a design | Create a design strategy.
Content. Divide and conquer to design a tunnel:

REPEAT
1. Develop a discipline-specific partial design.
2. Combine all discipline-specific partial designs into an integral tunnel design.
3. Check if the design task is done, that is, the integral tunnel design fulfills all objectives set in the design brief and does not produce conflicts.
UNTIL The design task is done.

Influence. Aligned partial designs: negative.
Kind. Strategy.
Nature. Knowledge.
Competitive position. Equal advantage.
Contribution. Stakeholder needs.
Priority. Now.
Action. Eliminate.

Capability

Function. Draft a design | Create a design strategy.
Content. Coordinate activities to design a tunnel:

REPEAT
1. Access the shared design space reserved for the design task.
2. Select a discipline-specific viewpoint on the design space.
3. Develop a discipline-specific part of an integral tunnel design.
4. Check if the design task is done, that is, the integral tunnel design fulfills all objectives set in the design brief and does not produce conflicts.
UNTIL The design task is done.

Influence. Aligned partial designs: positive.
Kind. Strategy.
Nature. Knowledge.
Competitive position. Temporary advantage.
Contribution. Stakeholder needs.
Priority. Now.
Action. Capture and share with design team members.

The design of a series aircraft is based on that of a predecessor: a prototype or another series aircraft. This article describes a scientific case study of how a design team can design a series aircraft more effectively.

Sector: Private

Industry: Manufacturing

Domain: Series aircraft

Current situation

Results. A team of designers is tasked to design an extended version of an aircraft. The team consists of senior designers and junior designers. When confronted with new design issues, junior designers tend to invent new solutions, whereas senior designers tend to focus on solutions that secure aircraft certification. The latter is a requirement for an aircraft to be allowed onto the market.

Environmental factors. Competition with other aircraft manufacturers.

Challenge. Less access to the capabilities of senior designers results in a lower chance of timely aircraft certification.

Ambition

Goal. Increase aircraft innovation efficiency.
Objective. Maximize access to innovation capabilities of senior designers.
Benefit. Better time to market.
Estimate. Worthwhile.

Capability

Function. Draft a design | Create a design strategy.
Content. Propose and revise to design an extended version of an aircraft:

1. Define problem P to be solved for the extended version of aircraft A.
2. Assess to which extent the solution for aircraft A solves problem P.
3. Modify the solution for aircraft A such that it solves problem P.

Influence. Access to the capabilities of senior designers: positive.
Kind. Strategy.
Nature. Knowledge.
Competitive position. Unused advantage.
Contribution. Organization strategy, Regulatory.
Priority. Now.
Action. Document and share with design team members.