Product dissection and benchmarking are processes commonly employed in industry to improve product design, performance and quality. It is the logical lead-in to the use of benchmarking in the design process.
The Design Process
The design process is the procedure whereby the designer, starting with customer or market expectations, develops a product or a process to meet a specific demand.
In dissecting any given product we examine how the device works, the relationship between the parts and components and the functional and operational requirements of the product. Critical design features and detailed implementation of the design concept to meet the product specifications can be observed and cataloged. Furthermore, the manufacturing and assembly processes employed can be inferred.

Benchmarking
1.
In industry, benchmarking is an accepted technique used to identify strengths and weaknesses of a wide range of products, processes, procedures and operations associated with the company products and services. In the college setting it is our purpose to emulate industry’s practice by having students examine, test and re-design a product.
Step 1 Determine the Product: You will be given a product and assigned to a product evaluation team.
All will be revealed ;)
Step 2 Process Measurements:
1.
Analyze your product to determine the critical functions of the design (as we did for the water bottles in class). Map those functions to geometric features of your product. Create a
“functions/features table” as shown in the example posted in D2L under
Content=>Projects=>Product Dissection.
2.
Discuss your product. Compare your product to one other group’s similar product (we will tell you which group).
3.
Field test your product in at least two different situations.
4.
After doing steps 2 and 3, list all satisfactory (and unsatisfactory) factors. Make sure to include factors related to safety/damage.
5.
Research and list all cost drivers (processes and materials that effect cost). Which drivers represent the greatest fraction of the cost?
6.
List the functions that have the greatest potential effect to improve the item.
7.
How can these improvements be evaluated/measured? What metrics could be used (metrics are factors that can be quantified)?
Type and submit your Process Measurements (lists) at the start of class.
Due date: See Dropbox for Step2 (20 pts.)
Step 3 Product Dissection Presentation: Prepare a 10 minute powerpoint presentation to the class on your findings. Prepare roughly one slide for each of the 7 process measurements.
You may incorporate any type of visual aids you wish including, drawings, sketches, models or short video clips. Be prepared to answer questions posed by your instructor and the class.
Due date: See Dropbox for date of Presentations (40pts)