2.74 OPTIMAL PRODUCT DESIGN

ASSIGNMENT 6. PRODUCT ARCHITECTURE

Objective

Apply product and portfolio architecture heuristics to develop a product architecture.

Deliverable

A single report for your whole group. This should include:

1. Your product's function structure.
2. The VersaPak portfolio function structure unioned with your product's function structure.
3. An ideal product architecture, as diagrammed on your product's function structure, as if there were no portfolio restrictions.
4. A listing of several possible product architectures, as diagrammed on your product's function structure.
5. A Pugh selection chart across these several possible architectures, with your selection of the best product architecture making most effective use of the VersaPak portfolio.

Work Required

As a part of this, I would expect you to:

1. Start with my corrections to your turned in Assignment 5 function structure and the VersaPak family function structure (versapak_fs.ppt, versapak_fs.zip) and the VersaPak module matrix (versapak_module.xls, versapak_module.zip).
2. Union your product architecture into the current VersaPak family function structure to determine a family function structure for the VersaPak line including your product. 
3. Apply the product architecture heuristics to determine possible product architectures.
4. Compare each possible architecture against the VersaPak portfolio architecture and module matrix to determine compatibility and module reusability for each possible product architecture.
5. Diagram this selection in a Pugh chart, and come to group consensus on a product architecture using the Pugh chart.

Due: Wednesday November 3, 1999 at the start of class.

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