A DFX Attribution Method Applied to Integrated Product Development within the Aerospace Domain

Abstract

The aerospace industry continually seeks to optimize product development processes to remain competitive. Design for Excellence (DFX) plays a crucial role in meeting customer expectations while aligning with organizational capabilities. However, the diversity of DFX technological areas and methods can make it challenging for companies to select the appropriate ones for each project. Successful DFX application, ensuring projects stay within scope, time, cost, and quality constraints without overburdening the development process, often depends on the engineering team’s experience and the project phase. This work maps DFX technological areas to address the decision-making problem of selecting the most suitable ones for various projects. The objective is to evaluate, from the engineering team’s perspective, whether a general approach can guide project managers in selecting key DFX areas, considering a typical aerospace organization’s project portfolio and specific project phase characteristics. Starting with a literature review of DFX in aerospace, the research includes a survey along with senior product development engineers. Quantitative results are gathered using the Likert scale and analyzed through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The paper presents a method to guide the initial selection of DFX areas, aiding project managers and engineers in designing complex products.