INCREMENT
a tool to enhance concurrent design activities
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
Instituto Superior Técnico - Lisbon - Portugal
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
Outline
 Context
 INCREMENT
 Conceptual design phase of space
systems
 Current design process
 Design modelling methodologies
 Movie with example Earth
observation satellite
 Current limitations
 Monitoring interaction
Dynamic design structure matrix
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
2
Conceptual Design Phase
100%
 Initial design stage
 First high-level design
90%
80%
Committed
Realized
choices
 Definition of around 70% of
the total cost of the project
% of cost
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Conceptual Detailed design Setting up the
design
supply chain
Production Maintenance &
Service
[Addapted from (Nevins 1989; Hartley 1992)]
 Impact even higher when
dealing with complex
systems such as space
systems
- Many disciplines
- Different groups have different views
- Interactions between disciplines (dynamic
during design)
- TotalSystem > Σ Subsystems
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
3
Design process - Concurrent Engineering
 Focusing all activities related to the development of a product in
the early stages of product design
 Concurrent Engineering is based on three key elements:
• Multidisciplinary team
• Process
• Software infrastructure
[Source: http://www.esa.int]
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
4
Design Modelling Methologies (1/2)
Used to define the attributes of the
Structure, Behaviour, Requirements
system
Different levels of abstraction: lexical,
graphic or a combination of both
Model Based System Engineering
 SysML
• Specifically tailored for
complex engineering
systems
• May include hardware,
software, information,
personnel, procedures,
and facilities
[Source: www.omgsysml.org/]
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
5
Design Modelling Methologies (2/2)
 OPM
 Object Process Methodology
 Every system can be represented
by 3 entities
•An object is a thing that exists or has
the potential of existence, physically or
mentally
•A process is a pattern of transformation
that an object undergoes
•A state is a situation an object can be at
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
6
Current limitations
 Design process
 No clear process defining how to get from the initial high level requirements
to a baseline solution in a concurrent environment
 Perceived with less performance than common Waterfall or V-Models
 No real-time perspective on the evolution of the system
 Design modelling methodologies
MBSE very complex to be used by designers (tailored for system architects)
 Subsystem level tools are completely detached from modelling
methodologies
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
7
Monitoring the interaction during conceptual design
 Structure
(Relationships)
 Values (Models)
 Design History
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
8
Design Structure Matrix (DSM)
Series
A
A
B
Parallel
B
X
A
Coupled
B
A
A
A
B
B
B
X
X
 These three types of dependencies can be easily depicted in a
Design Structure Matrix
 In a Concurrent Engineering environment it can be useful to have:
• a static view over the component based architecture
• a time parameter based view of the parameters that
determine the design
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
9
Dynamic Design Structure Matrix (DSM)
Realtime update of all the design changes with the use of additional
dimension (e.g. color) to give information on:
 Status of the relationship (if parameter relationship between
disciplines was accepted and/or there is a model describing the
behavior of the parameter)
 Parameter assignments (if there is a fixed value, a range of
possible values, there is a list of possible values)
 Quality of the assignments (on whether the value is final and
based on a design decision)
 Impact of each parameter on the downstream discipline
 Completion state (requiring reiteration, completed, problem)
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
10
INCREMENT
 INtegrated Concurrent Realtime EnvironMENT
 Integrates subsystem level models with the design modelling
needs
 Allows the definition and real-time monitoring of the different
disciplines, participants, design items, and design parameters
 Provides the realtime visualisation of the evolution of the
design process
 Keeps track of all design changes and allows traceability
 Enables a knowledge management strategy
 Generates design possibilities based on current definitions of
the system
MOVIE (example Earth observation satellite)
Ivo Ferreira
ivotomar@gmail.com
SECESA 2012
11