An IDEF0 model of the design process - methods, tools, and techniques

New product development and particularly the design process are of great concern in today's competitive industry. In spite of the large amount of work in the last four decades, the theoretical aspect of the design process is fragmented and the application of the existing models and methodologies are not widely understood and practiced. In this paper the evolution of design process with respect to the different aspects of the available models is briefly reviewed. Then a generic design process is presented using the IDEF0 model. Problems with generic models and the need for customising the design process based on the specific conditions of the market, company and product will be explained. In developing the model, actual practice in UK companies has been considered through a survey carried out by questionnaires and structured interviews in industrial companies.