PRODUCT

ARCHITECTURE
 Definition
- Product Architecture
■ A scheme by which the functional elements of the product are

arranged (or assigned) into physical building blocks (chunks) and by

which the blocks interact.

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Product Architecture: Definition

he arrangement of functional elements into physical

chunks which become the building blocks for the
 Product Development Process
\ Concept System-Level Detail Testing and Production
Planning
Development Design Design Refinement Ramp-Up

Product architecture is determined early in the development process.

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A product’s architecture begins to emerge during concept development.
This happens informally—in the sketches, function diagrams, and early prototypes of
the concept development phase.

When the new product is an incremental improvement on an existing product concept,

then the product architecture is defined within the product concept.

This is for two reasons.

First, the basic technologies and working principles of the product are predefined, and
so conceptual-design efforts are generally focused on better ways to embody the given
concept.
Second, as a product category matures, supply chain (i.e., production and distribution)
considerations and issues of product variety begin to become more prominent.

Product architecture is one of the development decisions that most impacts a firm’s
ability to efficiently deliver high product variety.

Architecture therefore becomes a central element of the product concept; however,

when the new product is the first of its kind, concept development is generally
concerned with the basic working principles and technology on which the product will
be based.
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).

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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
Considerations at product
architecturing
■ How will it affect the ability to offer
product variety?
■ How will it affect the product cost?
■ How will it affect the design lead time?
How will it affect the development
process management?

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 Modular vs. integrated -
architecture
■ Modular
■ Chunks implement one or a few functional elements in their
entirety (each functional element is implemented by exactly one
physical chunks)
■ The interactions between chunks are well defined and are
generally fundamental to the primary functions of the products.
■ Integrated
■ Functional elements of the product are implemented using more
than one chunk

A single chunk implements many functions.

The interaction between chunks are ill defined and may be
incidental to the primary functions of the products.

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 Apple Computer’s approach to building computers in the 1980’s is the classic
example of building products in a deeply integrated fashion.

 The reason Apple was able to push the performance of their products to exceed
that of their competitors was because their products were vertically integrated
across hardware and software.

 By producing all parts of the computer in one company, Apple was able to
innovate very quickly and achieve cutting edge, market-winning performance
from their computers.
 A contrary example is IBM’s modular approach to building computers.

 Rather than maintain full control over the hardware and software of their
products, IBM outsourced the development of their software to Microsoft and the
production of their microprocessors to Intel.

 This modular approach allowed each supplier to specialize in a specific niche,

optimize their processes and drive costs down
 Factors affecting architecture
modularity
Product changes
Product variety
Component standardization
Product performance
Manufacturability
Product development management

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1. PRODUCT CHANGES

or modular architecture
■ Allows to minimize the physical changes required to achieve a
functional change

Reasons for product changes

upgrades
add-ons

adaptation (adapt to different operation environments) wear (e.g.,

razors, tires, bearings)

consumption (for example, toner cartridges, battery in cameras) flexibility in use

(for users to reconfigure to exhibit different capabilities) re-use in creating
subsequent products

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2. PRODUCT VARIETY

■ The range of products (models) concurrently available in

the market

Modular can vary without adding tremendous complexity

to the manufacturing system.

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 3. Component standardization

■ ■ Use the same components in multiple products

Increase production volumes

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4.Product performance (for integrated design)

■ Allow optimizing the performance for an individual integrated

architecture.
■ Allow function sharing
■ Implementing multiple functions using a single physical
element.

Allow for redundancy to be eliminated through function sharing and

geometric nesting ■ Thus could lower the manufacturing cost

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 5. Manufacturability

■ ■ DFM (design for manufacturability) can be performed on the chunk-level but

not across several chunks.

■ For example, minimize the total number of part counters.

Thus, it is more applicable to an integrated

design.

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 6. Product development management

■ Better for modular architecture

■ Each modular chunk is assigned to an individual or a small group

■ Known and relatively limited functional interactions with other
chunks.

Not as easy for integrated architecture

■ Detailed designs will require close coordination

among different groups.

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rchitecture Design Process

create a schematic of the product

cluster the elements of the schematic
create a rough geometric layout
identify the fundamental and incidental interactions.

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Creating a product schematic
■ Create a schematic diagram representing
the (physical or functional) elements of the
product, using blocks, arrows, and other
notations.
■ Flow of forces or energy
■ Flow of material
■ Flow of signal or data
 Cluster the elements of the
_ schematic
" Factors for considering clustering
 Geometric integration and precision
 Function sharing Capability of vendors
 Similarity of design or production technology
 Localization of design (or part) change
 Accommodating variety
 Enabling standardization
 Portability of the interfaces

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Creating a rough geometric layout
■ A geometric system layout in
■ 2D or 3D drawings,
■ 2D or 3D graphics, or
■ Physical models.

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Identify the fundamental and
cidental interactions
Fundamental interactions
■ Those which connect the building blocks, such
as energy flows, material flows, and data flows.
■ Incidental interactions
■ Those that arise because of geometric
arrangements of the building blocks, such as
thermal expansion or heat dissipation.
Differentiation Postponement
(delayed differentiation)
" The timing of differentiation in the supply
chain
■ Modular components vs. final assembly for each
model in the inventory.
■ Two principles
i. Differentiating elements must be concentrated in
one or a few chunks
2. The product and production process must be
designed so that the differentiating chunks can
be added to the product near the end of the
supply chain.

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Trailer Example:
Integral Architecture

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Trailer Example:
Modular Architecture

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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 familv or platform.

Swiss Army Knife Sony Walkman

T
ntegraI 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.
Animation decompressor are
needed to see this picture

High-Performance Wheels Compact Camera

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.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)
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 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.

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Product Architecture Example:
Hewlett-Packard DeskJet Printer

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Geometric Layout

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Incidental Interactions

User Interface
Enclosure
Board

Styling

Thermal
Host Driver
Software

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Types of Modularity

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SLOT-MODULAR ARCHITECTURE:
Each of the interfaces between chunks in a slot-modular architecture is of a
different type from the others, so that the various chunks in the product cannot be
interchanged.

An automobile radio is an example of a chunk in a slotmodular architecture.

The radio implements exactly one function, but its interface is different from any
of the other components in the vehicle (e.g., radios and speedometers have
different types of interfaces to the instrument panel).

Consists of element with differing interfaces

Each element shares a unique interface with a base element.
Elements cannot be swapped around.

Example
Pacemaker leads
BUS-MODULAR ARCHITECTURE:
 In a bus-modular architecture, there is a common bus to which the other chunks
connect via the same type of interface.
A common example of a chunk in a bus-modular architecture would be an
expansion card for a personal computer
. Nonelectronic products can also be built around a bus-modular architecture. Track
lighting, shelving systems with rails, and adjustable roof racks for automobiles all
embody a bus-modular architecture.
Example
Usb in computer
SECTIONAL-MODULAR ARCHITECTURE:
In a sectional-modular architecture, all interfaces are of the same type, but there is no
single element to which all the other chunks attach.
Use standard chunk to chunk interface
 The assembly is built up by connecting the chunks to each other via identical interfaces.
Many piping systems adhere to a sectional-modular architecture, office partitions.

Slot-modular architectures are the most common of the modular architectures because for
most products each chunk requires a different interface to accommodate unique interactions
between that chunk and the rest of the product.

Bus-modular and sectional-modular architectures are particularly useful for situations in

which the overall product must vary widely in configuration, but whose chunks can interact
in standard ways with the rest of the product.