Utility driven design of product architectures for technical products in the B2B segment

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Günther Schuh; Professor Dr. Daniel Wentzel
• Subject Area: Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development ; Accounting and Finance
• Term: from 2014 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 265329797

The goal of this research proposal is to develop a methodology for the early design stages of technical products that allows firms to launch product architectures that match the required market variety. Based on an extensive analysis of the buying process in the B2B sector, the number and specifications of critical product features are identified. In particular, the positive and negative aspects of a wide range of variants are considered. The results of this analysis are compared iteratively with the technical possibilities. This is done to ensure that new product architectures that offer greater flexibility while utilizing economies of scale (e.g., modular platforms) are used in the planning process. In this manner, firms will be able to develop products and product programs that resolve the dilemma between required economies of scale and required product customization. Hence, this research proposal aims to show how firms can reduce complexity costs while still fulfilling relevant customer needs.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants