A Method to Support Cooperative Decision-Making in Product Modularization

Abstract

The following chapter presents a new method, including an innovative Modularization Decision Dashboard (MDD) as well as the corresponding process to prepare the MDD and to guide trough the decision process. Decisions in the context of product structures are systematically supported by means of the presented process model. This four-phase process model ensures that all relevant aspects and all decision-relevant KPIs are taken into account. The core of the method is a dashboard that visualizes all decision-relevant aspects. The description is both generic and based on a practical industry example. In addition to the description of the objectives of the method, the target group of the method is described. Besides general information about the study design, the elaborations include the implementation of the method into established approaches of modular product family design.