Towards a flexible and adequate Use of Methods in Product Development

Design methodology has become a major part of research in the field of engineering and offers a large variety of methods in order to establish effective and efficient product development processes. The main problem yet is that methods are barely used in practice or used in a wrong way. Corresponding to observations in industry, a survey resulted that there is no continuous use of methods in practice. One of the main reasons for the insufficient use of methods may be that there is a wrong understanding of methods and their meaning, which again may be determined by a wrong design of methods. With this contribution we would like to present a more appropriate view on methods and the consequences for their design, teaching, and industrial use, not just to save design methodology in itself but to optimise development processes by effective tools and strategies. In this context, a method is understood as any tool, strategy, or proceeding that supports the solution of a problem or the achievement of an aim in general.     «

Design methodology has become a major part of research in the field of engineering and offers a large variety of methods in order to establish effective and efficient product development processes. The main problem yet is that methods are barely used in practice or used in a wrong way. Corresponding to observations in industry, a survey resulted that there is no continuous use of methods in practice. One of the main reasons for the insufficient use of methods may be that there is a wrong underst...     »