A number of systems and design approaches are being taught and used in different engineering and management disciplines, and most student and practitioners involved in product development simply apply the methods and tools that they are most familiar with. As each design approach was developed for a particular context, scope, and type of problem, there is a need for additional support in selecting the most appropriate engineering design methodology. This study began with a thorough review of some of the most common approaches taught for product development: engineering design, design thinking, decision based design (DBD), systems thinking, axiomatic design, vee model, value driven design (VDD), waterfall model, spiral model, agile, total quality management (TQM), theory of constraints (ToC), six sigma, and lean manufacturing. Through this review, a number of criteria were identified to categorize and distinguish the approaches, and each approach was then assessed on each criterion to aid in comparison and evaluation of fit for any given project. Next, a decision support tool is proposed to help designers or project managers select the best methodology for their specific problems. This decision-making aid takes in information about the nature of the potential project and uses pre-defined metrics to recommend the most appropriate methodology.
I am currently a senior year student at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, and am pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Furthermore, I am currently a candidate to receive a Master's degree in Systems Engineering, which I will hopefully obtain by December 2017.
Julia Vance is a Bachelor of Engineering degree candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology and will graduate in May 2017. She is a participant in the Stevens Scholars program and through experience has specialized in packaging design and engineering.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2200-3638
Stevens Institute of Technology
[biography]
Steven Hoffenson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an M.S.E. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Hoffenson served as a Congressional Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2014-15. His research focuses on systems modeling, policy analysis, design methods and optimization, and sustainability.
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