Design Best Practices, Capabilities and Performance

• Marco Cantamessa ^[1]
  1. [1] Polytechnic University of Turin

     Polytechnic University of Turin

     Torino, Italia

     
• Localización: Journal of Engineering Design, ISSN 0954-4828, Vol. 10, Nº. 4, 1999, págs. 305-328
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Recent years have seen great attention being paid by manufacturing companies to product design and related support techniques, i.e. design methods and information technology tools. The paper, based upon empirical evidence and upon previous research, discusses the business- and operational-level effects delivered to firms by these techniques. It is shown that focus upon product design is not an unfailing recipe for business success but, rather, it is an important strategic asset with which a firm may successfully implement its choices related to technology and markets. At operational level, the paper shows that design support techniques are not important because of their objective value but, rather, because of the combined impact they may have upon the design capability of the firm. A framework for discussing such capability and its relationship to design support techniques is then proposed, showing a managerially relevant and clear-cut distinction may be made between two paradigms of design; respectively, design as applied science and systems engineering.