On-line monitoring of the emergent behavior and characteristics of a product to improve product design

摘要

Companies striving for leadership in today's highly competitive market-place need to take into account a number of technical, social, and environmental factors while designing a product. This paper suggests a new perspective on improving prudct design through utilization of feedback informatoon from prudct operation and maintenance. The influence of feedback information n design is discussed, and product usage monitoring as a way of collecting the necessary data is considered. An expectaion-driven approach to monitoring product functionality, usage, and operation environment is proposed to supply the designer with relevant information. A case study of an approach to practical implementation is described, and conclusions are drawn.