| 1. |
- Löfstrand, Magnus
(författare)
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A modelling and simulation approach for linking design activities to business decisions
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The business environment of the manufacturing industry is changing from a hardware-based product focus to a process and function focus. A current industrial interest is the development and sale of functions. This function could be realised as a product based on hardware, software and services, and may be sold as a function rather than as hardware. This function view is referred to as Functional Products (FP). The new focus for the customer is on value rather than hardware. This presents new challenges for how engineering hardware design may best be carried out. Sale of functional products requires a changed business model in which the price of the functional product is related to the functionality of the product itself; hence the name functional product. The supplier can in such a scenario no longer sell maintenance and spare parts. Instead, these activities become a cost, thus motivating the supplier to increase process efficiency, decrease internal production cost by using less energy per produced unit and increase knowledge about use-cases. The researcher's challenge is how to create new knowledge regarding functional product development for academic as well as for industrial benefit. The research question was formulated as: How may methods or tools for design process modelling and simulation be developed to support functional product development? Four case studies were carried out in Swedish industry. Case study 1 was carried out in cooperation with Hägglunds Drives AB. Case study 2 was carried out in cooperation with companies Hägglunds Drives AB, Volvo Aero and Volvo Car Corporation. Case study 3 was carried out in cooperation Volvo Aero and Case study 4 was carried out in cooperation with nine industrial companies during the formation of the Faste Laboratory, Centre for Functional Product Innovation. Results include the need for integrating product development process and company strategy for functional product development and the identification of the need for new methods and tools to enable better understanding of technology and business processes. The research shows the possibility of evaluating cost and time of development before doing the actual product development work by modelling and simulating the design process. Thus, the knowledge that previously was implicit in the work process is made explicit and possible to manipulate for a desired outcome. Linking the future business cases to work processes by modelling and simulation enables knowledge re-use and work-process predictions concerning cost and time. Hence, modelling and simulation of work processes results in better knowledge of company development capacity earlier than before, thus allowing shorter reaction time to changes in the business domain.
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| 2. |
- Johanson, Mathias, et al.
(författare)
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Collaborative innovation through distributed engineering services
- 2009
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Ingår i: Proceedings of International Multi-Conference on Engineering and Technological Innovation.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rapid advancement in information and communication technology in recent decades has presented new opportunities for carrying out sophisticated engineering work in distributed teams, using tools and techniques collectively referred to as Distributed Collaborative Engineering (DCE). This kind of on-line collaboration not only cuts costs due to reduced travel, but also fosters innovation in product development, by bringing together groups of people in collaborative teams with complementary competences, that would otherwise be difficult to realize. Moreover, the convergence of technologies for telecommunication and information technology now makes it possible for companies specialized in collaboration technology to deliver sophisticated services for DCE, which can be purchased by engineering companies on a pay-per-use basis. By outsourcing the installation, management and support of the collaboration tools, the engineering companies can focus on their product development projects while harnessing the full potential of DCE to become more efficient and competitive. We believe that this new way of conducting engineering work will be an important key to innovation in the future. In this paper, we analyze the requirements for delivering DCE as a service and describe the implications this has in terms of systems design, business models and competence requirements. Furthermore, in addition to the primary return on investment in DCE services, we cite cost reductions and reduced CO2 emissions as further benefits.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Karlsson, Lennart, et al.
(författare)
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Information driven collaborative engineering : enabling functional product innovation
- 2005
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Ingår i: Challenges in Collaborative Engineering - CCE '05. - Jönköping, Sweden : Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Jönköping University. - 9197560413
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses Information Driven Collaborative Engineering (IDCE) as an enabler of Functional Product Innovation (FPI). It discusses challenges that arise in functional product development and how distributed collaborative work will be affected. Finally the paper proposes bringing the domains of Distributed Collaborative Engineering (DCE) and Knowledge Enabled Engineering (KEE) together to form IDCE, in order to meet these challenges.
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| 5. |
- Larsson, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Design for versatility : the changing face of workspaces for collaborative design
- 2005
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Ingår i: Proceedings ICED 05, the 15th International Conference on Engineering Design. - Melbourne : The Institution of Engineers, Australia. - 9780858257887
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a fiercely competitive business climate, which is increasingly characterized by global alliances, partnerships and outsourcing agreements, companies struggle to decrease the negative impact of geographic distance on development efforts. The role of workspaces for collaborative design is gaining considerable attention, and there is currently an increasing interest in moving from individual tools or technologies to a more inclusive view of collaborative workspaces. This paper reports on the underlying motivation and justification for a new collaborative design studio at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. The studio provides a rapid-response environment, in which the significance of issues raised through ethnographic observations of engineering work can be evaluated and solutions offered.
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| 6. |
- Larsson, Tobias, et al.
(författare)
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Project: Service Concept Design - NFFP
- 2006
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Annan publikation (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- The project aim at strengthen the aerospace industry competence within Functional Product Development. The approach is activity based modelling, simulation and visualization of hardware based services in the cocnept phase of the product development process.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Löfstrand, Magnus, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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An activity based simulation approach to functional product development
- 2006
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Ingår i: Challenges in collaborative engineering: CCE '06. - Jönköping, Sweden : Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Jönköping University. - 919756043X ; , s. 107-118
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This paper discusses the new demands that are placed on tools and methods used in industrial product development due to the transformation of industrial companies from hardware producers to function providers, including some effects on collaborative engineering. Traditionally, manufacturing industry focuses on providing excellent goods, i.e. hardware. Services occur on an aftermarket, as an add-on to the developed hardware. By supplying functions, companies can gain control of the aftermarket. The responsibility and availability of the functions provided by hardware remains with the function provider as well as the responsibility for maintenance and spare parts. This approach, a new business mode, is a response to a necessity for business-to-business collaboration to gain economy––of-scale partnerships in the extended enterprise and ultimately to be able to develop competitive offers [1] [2]. Hence, the shift in view is a move towards providing functions, taking a lifecycle commitment for the hardware as well as optimizing the availability of its function in the customers’’ system. The redirection from hardware development to a process where development of functions is in focus is hereafter referred to as Functional Product Development.
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| 9. |
- Löfstrand, Magnus, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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Demands on engineering design culture for implementing functional products
- 2005
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Ingår i: Proceedings ICED 05, the 15th International Conference on Engineering Design, Melbourne, Australia, 15.-18.08.2005. - Glasgow, United Kingdom : The Design Society. - 0858257882 ; , s. 172-173
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Industrial product development focused companies, such as car manufacturers, have traditionally developed and sold hardware products. In professional business-to-business relations, the integration of hardware and software with services has been identified as a shift in focus in the seller-buyer relationship from hardware development to function development and the way a sustainable economic performance could be achieved. Therefore, the common perception today of where the product is mainly hardware only, needs to be expanded to include a definition where it does not even have to have any hardware at all. Expanding the product definition therefore places additional demands on the design and development of hardware, software and services that may all be part of the functional product. Further, this article discusses how customer requirements need to be handled when developing a total offer in the form of a functional product. Finally, the traits needed in the engineer who is to develop it while being part of amulti-cultural team are discussed, possibly a geographically distributed team.
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| 10. |
- Löfstrand, Magnus
(författare)
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Functional product development challenges collaborative work practices
- 2008
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Ingår i: Virtual team leadership and collaborative engineering advancements. - Hershey PA : Information Science Reference. - 9781605661100 - 1605661104 - 9781605661117 - 1605661112 ; , s. 203-216
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Developing service-laden products in a virtual extended enterprise implies a wider distribution of resources and product development (PD) team members than what is the case today. In this setting, the challenge is getting a cross-disciplinary distributed team to collaborate effectively over distance using not only the tools available today, but also new tools and approaches. One such activity-based approach, based on an actual Volvo Aero service-provision process, is presented in this article. Supplying a physical product as part of a service contract within an extended enterprise demands increased speed and quality of the predictions the supplier wants to make in order to keep track of the product functionality, its cost effectiveness and lifecycle cost. One approach that has been proven in engineering is modeling and simulation, here implemented as activity-based simulation of an actual industrial work process that provides a maintenance service. The activity-based simulation approach is realized in the industry standard simulation environment MATLAB. It is created as a demonstrator of one of several future tools that may help a virtual extended enterprise to face the challenge of supplying function or services to the customer more effectively. Conclusions regarding Collaborative Working Environments include new requirements on quality of tools for supporting functional product development regarding knowledge availability, usability, security and interoperability. Conclusions also support the suggested approach concerning development of distributed, modular activity-based process simulation models as a suitable approach for supporting functional product development
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| 11. |
- Löfstrand, Magnus
(författare)
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Functional product development challenges collaborative working environment practices
- 2007
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Ingår i: International Journal of e-collaboration. - Hersey, USA : IGI Global. - 1548-3673 .- 1548-3681. ; 3:4, s. 63-80
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article, an activity-based modeling and simulation approach to functional product development (FPD) is suggested as part of a simulation-driven CWE approach to meet the new demands that are placed on tools and methods used in industrial product development due to companies' transformation from hardware providers to function providers. The rationale for a simulation approach is discussed as well as the usefulness when applied on a process of work. An iterative data gathering and analysis process based on interviews and field notes is presented challenges for distributed working environment practices posed by the introduction of functional product development have been identified. They include four different and interrelated issues pertaining to approach, methods and tools, tolerances for errors and the ability to distribute new tools with extensive demands on usability and interoperability
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| 12. |
- Löfstrand, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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User-driven design of a flexible distance education environment : rationale, lessons learned and future implications
- 2008
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Ingår i: Proceedings. - Piscataway, NJ : IEEE Communications Society. - 769531156 ; , s. 85-92, s. 85-92
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses the challenges inherent in distributed education and presents the development of a distance education environment to meet the needs of educators and geographically dispersed students at Luleå University of Technology in northern Sweden. The design rationale and experiences from teaching in the environment are discussed. During the course of the research, several prerequisites for quality distance education were identified, one of which is the main topic of this paper. Here, the needs identified by the educators who are to se the created environment are discussed. Those needs have led to the design of the environment, including physical spaces, tools and technologies. Our results indicate that it is now possible to design a highly useful environment for distributed education at a much lower cost-to-quality ratio than only a few years ago. Such a system may be created in a way that allows teachers to earn to use the environment selfsufficiently. Thereby, the need for support staff is greatly diminished. The results indicate that the use of appropriate methods and tools lets teachers work in a distributed environment in a way that closely resembles their normal way of work in a teaching situation. In addition, a strategy for future development of the environment, based on the results presented here and on previous research, is suggested.
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| 13. |
- Törlind, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Towards true collaboration in global design teams?
- 2005
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Ingår i: Proceedings ICED 05, the 15th International Conference on Engineering Design. - Barton : Institution of Engineers, Australia. - 0858257882
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Today’s collaboration tools can support formal meetings to a certain extent, though there is still an immense potential for improvement when it comes to designing virtual and physical places where global design teams can collaborate in more ‘natural’ ways than existing distributed environments allow. One challenge for global product development is to support true collaboration within global design teams, where diversity and competences of the whole team can be utilized and where team members can think together rather then merely exchange information, opinions and divide work. This paper summarizes the results of several case studies and development projects performed within the Polhem Laboratory over the last four years and proposes challenges for future research. From our findings some of the most important challenges are how to support users with communication tools for more natural formal and informal communication (i.e. as a co-located team communicates), while automatically storing information and context from the distributed meetings.
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