Archives

On knowledge maturity and biased nature of staged decision making in a high consequence industry

ABSTRACT This paper explores and problematizes decision-making in a high-consequence industry which is characterized by the stage-gate process. We showcase that decision-makers do not differentiate between the types of knowledge used for modelling decisions and calculation of risks. This makes them susceptible to incorporating cognitive distortions—biases—into the stage-gate process. We conclude by amending the risk […]

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Design and Frugal Innovations: Three roles of resource-poor people

ABSTRACT Design is imperative to satisfy needs of people in resource-limited societies. Many design studies have been carried out in the context of such societies in developing countries, and are discussed under names such as humanitarian engineering, frugal innovations, appropriate technology, design at the Base of the Pyramid, design for development, etc. In this paper, […]

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Model-driven value assessment: a case from the food packaging industry

ABSTRACT Consumer perception of food packaging solutions is driven by early design decisions on paperboard configuration and manufacturing technologies. Simulation Driven Design is common to frontload design activities, but is confined to the engineering field and fails to capture higher-level value aspects. This paper presents an assessment framework connecting customer value dimensions with simulations conducted […]

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A model-driven decision arena: Augmenting decision making in early design

ABSTRACT A wide variety of expert competencies, transcending traditional disciplines, are needed to foresee and evaluate the impact of decisions in the conceptual phase of engineering design. Where this previously was a trade-off regarding design and development of the pure physical artefact it is now a complex ambiguity game involving all disciplines touching a solution […]

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Introducing Sustainability in Value Models to Support Design Decision Making: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Manufacturing organizations shall recognize sustainability as a business occasion to capitalize on, rather than an undesirable pressing situation. Still, empirical evidence shows that this opportunity is hard to capture and communicate in global strategic decisions, through planning by tactical management, to daily operational activities. This paper systematically reviews the modeling challenges at the crossroad […]

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Extreme Product-Service Innovation 2017/18 completed

In the Extreme PSS Innovation course, students from BTH’s masters programmes in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Management and Engineering, and Sustainable Product-Service System Innovation (MSPI) are given challenges from real industrial companies to solve. The course is a central part of BTH’s mantra “In Real Life”. 

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A systematic review of value metrics for PSS design

ABSTRACT The notion of ‘value’ has become pivotal in the PSS domain, with a plethora of ‘indicators’, ‘drivers’ and ‘measurements’ proposed to guide the assessment of PSS concepts across the design process. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review that maps existing contributions dealing with metrics for PSS value in early design. […]

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An IPA based method for PSS design concept assessment

ABSTRACT Literature and field study research highlight that transiting toward PSS means for many companies to either miss interesting business opportunities or to bet on the wrong solution concept. Early stage assessment activities play a crucial role in this respect, guiding the selection of a value-adding PSS while preventing commitment of resources on poor design […]

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Value Innovation projects 2017

Value Innovation is a course in the Master programme that gives students in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Economy the opportunity to experience the development of new products and services “in real life”, collaborating with companies and organisations in the Blekinge region. Sharing       

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Frugal Innovation for global sustainable development

‘Frugal’ means making things simpler, in such a way that they are adapted to the local circumstances, or adapted to a resource constrained environment. Frugal innovations can be placed on the junction of affordability and good enough quality, while still having basic functionality. Sharing       

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