Information Hiding in Product Development: The Design Churn Effect
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...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Language: | en_US |
| Published: |
2002
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/703 |
| _version_ | 1826216747757207552 |
|---|---|
| author | Yassine, Ali Eppinger, Steven D. Whitney, Daniel Braha, Dan Joglekar, Nitin |
| author_facet | Yassine, Ali Eppinger, Steven D. Whitney, Daniel Braha, Dan Joglekar, Nitin |
| author_sort | Yassine, Ali |
| collection | MIT |
| description | 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 as 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:52:29Z |
| id | mit-1721.1/703 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:52:29Z |
| publishDate | 2002 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/7032019-04-11T10:31:33Z Information Hiding in Product Development: The Design Churn Effect Yassine, Ali Eppinger, Steven D. Whitney, Daniel Braha, Dan Joglekar, Nitin Information Hiding Component and System Performance Generation Product Development Decomposition and Integration Design Process Modeling Design Churn 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 as 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. 2002-06-07T18:58:36Z 2002-06-07T18:58:36Z 2002-06-07T18:58:45Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/703 en_US MIT Sloan School of Management Working Paper;4333-02 171174 bytes application/pdf application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Information Hiding Component and System Performance Generation Product Development Decomposition and Integration Design Process Modeling Design Churn Yassine, Ali Eppinger, Steven D. Whitney, Daniel Braha, Dan Joglekar, Nitin Information Hiding in Product Development: The Design Churn Effect |
| title | Information Hiding in Product Development: The Design Churn Effect |
| title_full | Information Hiding in Product Development: The Design Churn Effect |
| title_fullStr | Information Hiding in Product Development: The Design Churn Effect |
| title_full_unstemmed | Information Hiding in Product Development: The Design Churn Effect |
| title_short | Information Hiding in Product Development: The Design Churn Effect |
| title_sort | information hiding in product development the design churn effect |
| topic | Information Hiding Component and System Performance Generation Product Development Decomposition and Integration Design Process Modeling Design Churn |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/703 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yassineali informationhidinginproductdevelopmentthedesignchurneffect AT eppingerstevend informationhidinginproductdevelopmentthedesignchurneffect AT whitneydaniel informationhidinginproductdevelopmentthedesignchurneffect AT brahadan informationhidinginproductdevelopmentthedesignchurneffect AT joglekarnitin informationhidinginproductdevelopmentthedesignchurneffect |