Flexible design: a methodology for strategic reuse

This paper describes a philosophy called flexible design. It enables a company to move from a market sector into neighbouring ones by redesigning the present product to include a common core for use in the other sectors. The paper describes each of the four stages of market analysis, requirement analysis, function analysis and concept evolution and then provides a case study example of the methodology. The case study follows the development of a common core design of an electric wheelchair that caters both for the disability, elderly and leisure market sectors.