Product Architecture

Chapter Table of Contents

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Introduction Development Processes and Organizations Product Planning Identifying Customer Needs Product Specifications Concept Generation Concept Selection Concept Testing Product Architecture Industrial Design Design for Manufacturing Prototyping Product Development Economics Managing Projects

Product Development Process

Planning Concept Development System-Level Design Detail Design Testing and Refinement Production Ramp-Up

Platform decision

Concept decision

Decomposition decision

Product architecture is determined early in the development process.

Product Architecture Example: Hewlett-Packard DeskJet Printer

Product Architecture: Definition

The arrangement of functional elements into physical chunks which become the building blocks for the product or family of products.
module module

module

module

Product
module

module

module

module

Trailer Example: Modular Architecture

box hitch fairing bed springs wheels protect cargo from weather connect to vehicle minimize air drag support cargo loads suspend trailer structure transfer loads to road

Trailer Example: Integral Architecture

upper half lower half nose piece cargo hanging straps spring slot covers wheels protect cargo from weather connect to vehicle minimize air drag support cargo loads suspend trailer structure transfer loads to road

What is this?

Nail Clippers?

Modular Product Architectures

Chunks implement one or a few functions entirely. Interactions between chunks are well defined. Modular architecture has advantages in simplicity and reusability for a product family or platform.

Swiss Army Knife

Sony Walkman

Platform Architecture of the Sony Walkman

Integral Product Architectures

Functional elements are implemented by multiple chunks, or a chunk may implement many functions. Interactions between chunks are poorly defined. Integral architecture generally increases performance and reduces costs for any specific product model.

High-Performance Wheels

Compact Camera

Choosing the Product Architecture

Architecture decisions relate to product planning and concept development decisions:
Product Change (copier toner, camera lenses)
Product Variety (computers, automobiles) Standardization (motors, bearings, fasteners) Performance (racing bikes, fighter planes) Manufacturing Cost (disk drives, razors) Project Management (team capacity, skills) System Engineering (decomposition, integration)

Ford Taurus Integrated Control Panel

Modular or Integral Architecture?

Apple iBook

Motorola StarTAC Cellular Phone

Ford Explorer

Rollerblade In-Line Skates

The concepts of integral and modular apply at several levels:

system
sub-system component

Product Architecture = Decomposition + Interactions

Interactions within chunks

Interactions across chunks

Establishing the Architecture

To establish a modular architecture, create a schematic of the product, and cluster the elements of the schematic to achieve the types of product variety desired.

DeskJet Printer Schematic

Enclose Printer Print Cartridge Accept User Inputs

Provide Structural Support

Position Cartridge In X-Axis Position Paper In Y-Axis Pick Paper

Display Status

Store Output Store Blank Paper

Control Printer
Supply DC Power Communicate with Host Connect to Host

Functional or Physical Elements

Flow of forces or energy Flow of material Flow of signals or data

Command Printer

Cluster Elements into Chunks

Enclosure Enclose Printer Print Cartridge User Interface Board Accept Display User Status Inputs

Provide Structural Support

Chassis Store Output Store Blank Paper Paper Tray

Position Cartridge In X-Axis Position Paper In Y-Axis Pick Paper Print Mechanism

Control Printer

Power Cord and Brick Supply DC Power

Communicate with Host Connect to Host Logic Board

Command Printer
Host Driver Software

Functional or Physical Elements

Chunks

Geometric Layout
logic board print cartridge paper tray print mechanism chassis user interface board

enclosure print cartridge height roller paper logic board chassis paper tray

Incidental Interactions
Enclosure User Interface Board Styling Vibration Thermal Distortion

Paper Tray

Print Mechanism

Logic Board

Host Driver Software

Thermal Distortion Chassis

RF Shielding

RF Interference
Power Cord and Brick

System Team Assignment Based on Product Architecture

Crankshaft F Flywheel G Connecting Rods E Piston s D l l Lubrication I I l l Engine Block A l l l A l l l l C l Camshaft/Valve Train C l Cylind er Heads B1 l l B1 l l Intake Manifold K1 l K1 l l l l l l Water Pump/Co oling J Fuel System P Air Cleaner N Thro ttle Body Q EVAP R Cylind er Heads B2 Intake Manifold K2 Integration A.I.R. O Team Exhau st L E.G.R. M Accessory Drive H l l l l Ignition S l l l l l l l E.C.M. T l l l l l Electrical System U Engine Assembly V l l l l l l l l l
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

F G E D I A C B1 K1 J P N Q R B2 K2 O L M H S T U l l l l F l l l l l l l l l l l G Team 1 l l E l l l l l l l l l D l l l l l l
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l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

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Frequency of PDT Interactions l l Weekly Daily Monthly

From Innovation at the Speed of Information, S. Eppinger, HBR, January 2001.

Planning a Modular Product Line: Commonality Table

Number of Types Chunks Print cartridge Print Mechanism Paper tray Logic board 2 2 2 2 ManetCartridge "Aurora" Series Front-in Front-out Next gen b ard o with parallel port Home style Version A-PC Version A-Mac PicassoCartridge Narrow "Aurora" series Front-in Front-out Next gen b ard o PicassoCartridge "Aurora" series Tall Front-in Front-out Next gen b ard o Family Student SOHO (sm all office, home office)

Enclosure Driver software

3 5

Youth style Version B-PC Version B-Mac

Soft officestyle Version C

Differentiation versus Commonality Trade off product variety and production complexity

Product Model Lifetime

Fr ac t i o n Su r v i v i n g 1 .0 Av er age Lif e
Ot hers Sony 1 .1 8 y r 1 .9 7 y r

So ny A IW A T o sh i b a Pan aso n i c

0 .8 0 .6 From Sanderson and Uzumeri, The Innovation Imperative, Irwin 1997.

0 .4
0 .2 0 0 1 2 3

4 5 Surv iv al Time ( y ears)

Types of Modularity
Swapping Modularity Sharing Modularity
Adapted from K. Ulrich, The Role of Product Architecture in the Manufacturing Firm, Research Policy, 1995.

Sectional Modularity

Bus Modularity

Fabricate-to-Fit Modularity

Mix Modularity

LF Speake r Cellular Antenna

Audio System Exercise: Where are the Chunks?

AM/FM Antenna Antenna Motor

RF Speake r

Cellular Phone

Tuner

Cassette

Fro nt Controls

Displa y
104.1
FM

Microphone

Power Amplifier

CD Changer

Rear Controls

Rear
He adph one s

LR Speake r

RR Speake r

Fundamental Decisions
Integral vs. modular architecture? What type of modularity? How to assign functions to chunks? How to assign chunks to teams? Which chunks to outsource?

Practical Concerns
Planning is essential to achieve the desired variety and product change capability. Coordination is difficult, particularly across teams, companies, or great distances. Special attention must be paid to handle complex interactions between chunks (system engineering methods).

Product Architecture: Conclusions

Architecture choices define the sub-systems and modules of the product platform or family. Architecture determines:
ease of production variety feasibility of customer modification system-level production costs

Key Concepts:
modular vs. integral architecture clustering into chunks planning product families