Architecture Identification by Decomposing Approach

Modularization in Printers

Abstract

Measuring product architecture typically requires a cooperation with product development teams, but this can be challenging in practice, particularly for latecomer economies. This study introduces a novel Decomposing Approach that identifies product architecture through product disassembly. This approach is rooted in existing approaches by bridging the function-structure and interface analysis methodologies. This paper applied Decomposing Approach to printers, which are typically seen as integral products while exhibiting some partial modularization in their underlying layers. Through the Decomposing Approach, this paper identified modularized layers and quantified their degrees of modularization. The findings reveal the presence of modularized layers within printer architecture, with varying degrees of modularity among different printer types.