Title: The systems engineering approach to an IPPD implementation

Authors: S. Dwivedi, John Green

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, LA 70504, USA. Manager, Organisational Development, Armament Systems Division, Minneapolis, MN V55421, USA

Abstract: Over the years industry has undergone a dramatic change in product development. The design of new products had transitioned from being an almost artistic process to one involving significantly more discipline. This discipline has come in the form of various systems engineering processes, which utilise analysis and coordinated activities to develop products. Fortunately, the application of these processes has not reduced the level of innovation or creativity achieved in design, but rather has enhanced the probability that the final product will successfully meet its objectives within cost goals. We are continuing to refine our product development skills as we move to an integrated product and process development (IPPD) approach. IPPD continues to use a disciplined system engineering process, but adds the elements of concurrent life cycle consideration and empowered work teams to achieve a higher level of customer satisfaction. The IPPD approach requires us to perform product development on a much broader front. Through addressing the production, delivery, training, and support systems concurrently with the design of the ||out of the box|| product (the item which every customer would like to find under his or her Christmas tree), customer satisfaction can be significantly increased. This paper is intended to provide a brief description of system development. It describes where we have been in the past, and where we|re trying to go in the future, relative to product development. A discussion of the application of systems engineering to IPPD is provided to highlight the shift in our systems perspective that we|re trying to achieve. This paper provides neither a detailed coverage of the subject, nor the only valid interpretation of IPPD. It is intended solely to provoke constructive thought on the subject.

Keywords: IPPD; SE; top-down approach; bottom-up approach; interface; system; architecture; segment; element; integration, concurrent engineering.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2002.000276

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2002 Vol.15 No.1/2/3, pp.9-14

Published online: 15 Jul 2003 *

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