Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

The aim is to enable the students to acquire an understanding of how product features and product structure will determine the possibilities and limitations in the whole product lifecycle. This includes cost and adaptability related to production, sales, installation, service, and recycling.

Students who complete the module:

Learning objectives

Knowledge

• Must have knowledge of the cost and effort involved in various ways of constructing, assembling and manufacturing products and product components
• Must have knowledge of the relationship between a given product structure and the limitations and possibilities in different lifecycle situations
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge of central theories and methods used in product families and product platforms
• Must have knowledge of the theories and methods of project management and of the financial aspects of product development (e.g. budgeting)
• Must have knowledge of basic technology and market scanning tools, basic methods for carrying out trend and competitor analysis and of the market-specific relation between cost of production and retail price point

Skills

• Must be able to give a rough estimation of production costs of a given product
• Must be able to decide, argue and explain in detail the relationship between the design of the proposed method of construction, assembly and production and its market potential and price point and subsequently account for the implications for these of any changes in design

Competences

• Must be able to argue for the relationship between retail price and expected sales (in units) of a given product and from this specify the maximum acceptable production costs
• Must be able to design and construct a simple product within a given price point using specified materials, production methods/processes and assembly methods

Type of instruction

See general description of the types of instruction described in the introduction to Chapter 3.

Exam

Exams