Product Development Research Laboratory

AT UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

The research in the Product Development Research Lab covers three realms of PD systems:

• Information Driven PD Management: DSM and Math Models

    ▫ DSM

       ◊ Partitioning

       ◊ Clustering

       ◊ Simulation

       ◊ As a Project Management Tool

       ◊ As a Systems Analysis Tool

    ▫ Math Models

       ◊ Decomposition/Integration

       ◊ Design Iteration

       ◊ Task Overlapping

       ◊ Design Convergence

       ◊ Product Architecture Planning

• Information Technology issues in PD processes

    ▫ Efficiency

    ▫ Information Structure

    ▫ Stability/Convergence

    ▫ Customization, Co-Development & Design Chains

In addition, recent research projects in the PD Research Laboratory have included studying PD processes as social networks, the use of genetic algorithms (GAs) to determine optimal product / organizational architectures, and using agent-based models for development scheduling and collaboration.

• Technology commercialization and technology management studies in PD

In collaboration with the Technology Entrepreneur Center (TEC), the PD lab is also embarking on studying entrepreneurial aspects (i.e., technology commercialization and technology management) of a product development process.