Information hiding in product development: The design churn effect

Ali Yassine, Nitin Joglekar, Dan Braha, Steven Eppinger, Daniel Whitney

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

168 Scopus citations

Abstract

Execution of a complex product development project is facilitated through its decomposition into an interrelated set of localized development tasks. When a local task is completed, its output is integrated through an iterative cycle of system-wide integration activities. Integration is often accompanied by inadvertent information hiding due to the asynchronous information exchanges. We show that information hiding leads to persistent recurrence of problems (termed the design churn effect) such that progress oscillates between being on schedule and falling behind. The oscillatory nature of the PD process confounds progress measurement and makes it difficult to judge whether the project is on schedule or slipping. We develop a dynamic model of work transformation to derive conditions under which churn is observed as an unintended consequence of information hiding due to local and system task decomposition. We illustrate these conditions with a case example from an automotive development project and discuss strategies to mitigate design churn.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)145-161
Number of pages17
JournalResearch in Engineering Design - Theory, Applications, and Concurrent Engineering
Volume14
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Nov 2003
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Component and system performance generation
  • Decomposition and integration
  • Design churn
  • Design process modeling
  • Information hiding
  • Product development

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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