Synonyms
Definition
In engineering design, product architecture is related to the functional elements and physical components of products and is used to define “the basic physical building blocks of the product in terms of what they do and what their interfaces are to the rest of the device” (Ulrich and Eppinger 2000). One of the most widely accepted definitions of product architecture was given by Ulrich (1995) as “the scheme by which the function of a product is allocated to physical components,” more precisely as “(1) the arrangement of functional elements; (2) the mapping from functional elements to physical components; (3) the specification of the interfaces among interacting physical components.”
Some slightly different definitions from different points of views can also be found. For example, Fixson (2005) defined product architecture from an information point of view as “a comprehensive description of a bundle of product characteristics, including number and...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Dieter GE (2000) Engineering design: a materials and processing approach, 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York
Fisher M, Ramdas K, Ulrich KT (1999) Component sharing in the management of product variety: a study of automotive braking system. Manag Sci 45(3):297–315
Fixson SK (2005) Product architecture assessment: a tool to link product, process, and supply chain design decisions. J Oper Manag 23(3–4):345–369
Gu P, Hashemian M, Sosale S, Rivin E (1997) An integrated modular design methodology for life cycle engineering. CIRP Ann Manuf Technol 46(1):71–74
Gu P, Hashemian M, Nee AYC (2004) Adaptable design. CIRP Ann Manuf Technol 53(2):539–557
Krishnan V, Gupta S (2001) Appropriateness and impact of platform-based product development. Manag Sci 47(1):52–68
Newcomb PJ, Bras B, Rosen DW (1998) Implications of modularity on product design for the life cycle. J Mech Des 120(3):483–490
Robertson D, Ulrich KT (1998) Planning for product platforms. Sloan Manag Rev 39(4):19–31
Simpson TW, Maier JRA, Mistree F (2001) Product platform design: method and application. Res Eng Des 13:2–22
Suzue T, Kohdate A (1990) Variety reduction program. Productivity Press, Cambridge, MA
Ulrich KT (1995) The role of product architecture in the manufacturing firm. Res Policy 24(3):419–440
Ulrich KT, Ellison DJ (1999) Holistic customer requirements and the design-select decision. Manag Sci 45(5):641–658
Ulrich KT, Eppinger SD (2000) Product design and development. McGraw-Hill, New York
Yassine AA, Wissmann LA (2007) The implications of product architecture on the firm. Syst Eng 10(2):118–137
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 CIRP
About this entry
Cite this entry
Gu, P. (2018). Product Architecture. In: Chatti, S., Tolio, T. (eds) CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35950-7_6463-4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35950-7_6463-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35950-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35950-7
eBook Packages: Springer Reference EngineeringReference Module Computer Science and Engineering
