A novel approach to product lifecycle management and engineering based on product in-use information

The current research builds on previous work indicating that both testing and in-service information can provide important insights into product behaviour. While in the past these information types have been treated independently, the current research seeks to demonstrate that a combination of these different information types is feasible within what the author has termed "Product In-Use" information. The latter is defined as "all information collected throughout the lifecycle concerning product performance during use." It is proposed that this information can provide important support to designers in their attempts to reduce future lifecycle costs and develop more reliable products. This research therefore also seeks to extend current models to support the structuring, representation and communication of product in-use information.;A thorough review of the literature pertaining to the application of test and in-service information for supporting the product development process has shown that a variety of tools have been developed for capturing and communicating various aspects of a product's behaviour and its effect on performance and lifecycle costs. However, these tools tend to be evaluated empirically, with a focus on specific implementations rather than the development of a generalised framework.;Through a collaborative research project with a manufacturer of complex aerospace subsystems, a systematic analysis of the role of in-service and testing within the manufacturer's product development activities has been possible. A survey of designers has demonstrated the need to support their activities through efficient access to information regarding product performance. Furthermore, analyses of individual components as well as product families have demonstrated that testing and in-service information both provide insights regarding product behaviour in particular contexts. This information relates in particular to changes in product structure and behaviour which occur over time, possible explanations for unexpected events, and suggestions for corrective action. Despite these similarities, in-service and testing information are currently treated as separate bodies of information.;In developing tools for supporting designers through the reuse of product in-use information, the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) framework was explored, as well as various lifecycle cost-based analyses. However, it was found that a more appropriate means of structuring, representing and communicating product in-use information is the SAPPhIRE model of causality. This model does not only represent the causal chains found in testing and in-service event reports, but can also provide a structure for organizing and communicating detailed product in-use information. This information provides stakeholders with further insights with respect to the reported testing and in-service events. In this way, the SAPPhIRE model provides a means for understanding the interconnected evolution of product behaviour and structure over time. However, the original SAPPhIRE model was developed for conceptual analysis, and certain constructs and elements of its structure do not clearly represent the evolution of the product throughout its lifecycle. Therefore an extended SAPPhIRE model has been proposed with a focus on creating a clear relationship with the product lifecycle. This model has also been shown to have potential for representing a product's evolution throughout the design and manufacturing lifecycle phases, and therefore could form the basis for an extended model of product lifecycle management and engineering.;The current research has demonstrated the existence of product in-use information, presented its main characteristics and shown how it can help satisfy an information gap expressed by designers. It has furthermore demonstrated the suitability of the extended SAPPhIRE model for the representation of the spatial, behavioural and temporal aspects of the product lifecycle. Future work will be necessary for quantitative evaluation of the model and its ability to facilitate product development and reduce product lifecycle costs. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).