Posts by Rob Allen
Why Market Requirements Don’t Really Exist
Wouldn’t it be great if we could require the stock market to provide us 15% increases in our portfolio every year…or if we could simply require a sunny day for a picnic? You might be familiar with the term ‘market requirements’ or a ‘market requirements document’ as a deliverable in the definition phase of a…
Read MoreWhen the system is the customer – system integration
In recent articles we framed the structure of a market analysis to ensure we understand customer needs and value, product requirements are “the what” the design provides (to ensure customer needs are met); the design is “the how” the product requirements will be met. Product requirements are determined by answering the following question: “What shall the (product) design provide…
Read MoreDesign Optimization Using Value Equations
Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is an excellent tool to ensure linkage of customer needs to product requirements. This article will provide a high-level overview on creating a ‘first-level’ QFD and how it can be used to guide design optimization. (There are many additional features of QFD , however, and readers of this article are encouraged…
Read MoreWhat is Validation?
Significant savings in product development costs can be realized with robust validation processes, starting with requirements validation. Validation confirms the product meets customer needs for the products intended use, and answers the question “are we designing the right product?” The “right product” therefore starts with the “right” product requirements. Even a product designed with detailed…
Read MoreIdeation and Product Development
In recent articles we focused on a ‘linear’ approach to product development by understanding customer needs, establishing requirements (“what the design provides”), establishing a conceptual design, etc. In this article, we’ll discuss a framework whereby an idea for a product or design might kick-off the process. Also, rather than a commercialized product, we will assume…
Read MoreEmphasizing Product Requirements
In this article we’ll explore the topic of requirements, and attitudes about identifying requirements before the design work begins. In my experience, I’ve had design resources literally state “I hope there are no requirements”. (Unconstrained design and no requirements certainly made this designer’s job much easier.) There are several other reasons requirements are sometimes neglected:…
Read MoreUsing Hierarchy In Complex System Requirements and Design
Managing requirements for complex systems can be challenging, however, establishing a hierarchical framework of key questions (answered at each layer of the hierarchy) can be quite helpful. While some regulatory authorities (such as the FAA) may require various layers of documentation and traceability, this article isn’t necessarily advocating a bureaucratic development process. The process can be…
Read MoreUnderstanding Design Constraints
While previous articles focused on requirements writing, another element of products requirements is design constraints. A design constraint might not be a requirement in the purest sense, but must be accommodated in product requirements (and, ideally, identified as such). Design constraints almost always make their way into product requirements. Let’s use a simple example whereby…
Read MoreEnsuring Linkage Between Requirements and Verification
One of several reasons for emphasizing product requirements includes enabling modeling and simulations of designs, as well as ensuring adequate verification and validation testing. Recall the fundamental framing of a requirement as: Note the framing (within the requirement) of a mathematical and/or experimental relationship where “Y” is the output as a function of “(x)” as…
Read MoreWhat is Lean Product Development (Part I)?
Lean product development might mean different things to different organizations, but let’s start with the 5 principles of lean manufacturing and see how it can be applied to the product development process. Manufacturing Value Stream 1. Specify value 2. Identify the value stream 3. Establish flow 4. Make value flow at the pull of the customer…
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