Decision making and value considerations during the early stages of engineering design

Abstract

Early design is a critical stage in product and service development. The choices made during this period influence the final spread and acceptance of the artifact and therefore must be made in the best possible manner. Different aspects must be taken into account during decision making such as value, risk awareness, environmental impacts, etc. The present work studies value in engineering projects using dimensional analysis and its integration in the decision making framework while putting an accent on value considerations. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.