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Using Technology To Improve Product Development
The process of product design can be greatly enhanced and
improved through the use of technology. New product development is often a long
and complex process, but if you find the right technology for your needs then
this process can be carried out much more quickly and for a far lower cost.
There are a number of techniques that can be used, most of which involve
computer technology.
Why use technology?
Product design can often be complex, and technology can
help to ease the workload involved in new product development. It will also
help to lower costs, as it is much quicker to change parts and product design
around on a computer than it is to change them by hand. You can try out various
features and ideas far more easily, which will help you to develop a better
final product. Computers can also help to find weaknesses in your product that
you cannot easily see yourself, by using long-term simulation models. Here are
a number of ways technology can help to improve product design:
Decision-making and information
Technology can be used to aid product
design by helping to sort data and make complex decisions that would take you a
long time or would be impossible otherwise. An example of such technology is
Analytical Hierarchy Processing or AHP. AHP can be used to make complex
decisions where a large number of criteria need to be reviewed that are both
qualitative and quantitative. This technology groups the decision elements into
a family tree style design, which makes it easier for you to see the problem
and make decisions about your product and its potential.
Teamwork
Product design is often about
teamwork, and technology can be used to improve team efficiency. For example,
asynchronous groupware can be employed to improve cooperation. This is computer
software that allows people to work as groups, but they do not all have to work
at the same time. This means that people can develop ideas on a staggered
scale, and then combine them together easily to form a cohesive whole.
Finding customers
Computer technology can also be used to work out the
potential for new product development. For example, by using computations such as
the Brand Development Index, you can work out how many potential customers
there are in a specific area, and target your product and marketing
accordingly.
Models and Design
Perhaps the most important use of technology in product
design is in the development of models are prototypes. Computers can play an
important role in the modelling process, and can allow you to continually alter
a model before a prototype is even built. Through the use of computer
simulations, you can work out whether a product has any unforeseen problems,
and what its potential lifespan is. You can also work out its potential
usability through cognitive modelling, by simulating potential human responses
to the product and anticipating user behaviour. This will allow you to greatly
improve the efficiency and usability of your final product design.
One of the most common ways of using technology in design
is through CAD, or computer-aided design. This technology allows you to design
a 3-D model of the product on a computer, which can then be tested for problems
before a real model is built. This can obviously save large amounts of money.
For example, designers can create a 3-D model of a car and test its handling
and safety potential without having to build a number of costly prototypes
first.
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Technology
can be used in many ways to improve product design, mostly through the use of computers.
If you are about to start product design, it is advisable to thoroughly
research ways in which you can use technology to aid your product development.
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