An Approach to Product Architecture Design for Maximizing Customer Value

Abstract

This paper describes our approach to product architecture optimal design which aims to maximize customer values of customize based products. While modularization with various options can effectively meet customer needs, excessive options may cause reduction of customer satisfaction. Our approach aims to solve this issue by a refining method of product architecture design with consideration of not only relationships between physical functions and entity structure, but also their relationships to customer needs with three design structure matrixes (DSMs) and two domain mapping matrixes (DMMs). Product architecture is optimally modularized by applying clustering analysis to the linked DSMs and DMMs. An example of product architecture design of an industrial robot is briefly reported. Finally operational issues in applying our method and the associated future works are discussed.