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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R37067/01
Title: An investigation into the Decomposition-intergration problem in complex product development programmes (COPE)
Principal Investigator: Guenov, Professor M
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
BAE Systems
Department: Sch of Engineering
Organisation: Cranfield University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 December 2001 Ends: 30 November 2004 Value (£): 178,140
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Manufact. Business Strategy
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine Manufacturing
Transport Systems and Vehicles
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Systems Integrators in the aerospace, shipbuilding, and other industries currently aim to front-fund large engineering programs by deploying at least 15% of the total budget on systems engineering, integration, and management. It is expected that this early investment will pay off during the product development lifecycle by reducing downstream iterations and rework. It has become evident however that the second-generation engineering processes designed to facilitate this left shift has not yet fully delivered in terms of time and cost savings. The proposed research aims to understand the causes for the process deficiencies, especially the ones related to product decomposition and integration strategies. The approach is to follow a programme, run by a global systems integration company (our Industrial Collaborator) and identify the factors influencing the decomposition and product integration architectures. These factors will be formalised and systematised in an object-oriented model. The model will be utilised to extend the scope of the Axiomatic Design theory, so that it can help synthesise a decomposition strategy. This in turn will aid decisionmakers, such as Program Managers and Chief Systems Engineers during the product development process. It is anticipated that the results of this project will have major impact on the second generation IPD, since the decomposition issues affect subcontracting, team building, and scheduling processes. Complexity handling will allow costs to be streamlined out of the product development systems by reducing product and process related investment.
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Organisation Website: http://www.cranfield.ac.uk