A study on product design process and continuous improvement (CI): R&D in embedded computing industry

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the schematic design process in the embedded computing industry using Continuous Improvement (CI) approach, which the design department or section of a manufacturing concern, particularly in electronics and embedded systems. For the manufacturer, the research function helps develop new products or useful design modifications to an existing product range and development activity, which is basically an engineering function aimed to converting the research concept into a viable product, is known as an Research and Development (R&D) activity and sometimes it may be associated with design engineering as a project design and development function. Quality is a never-ending quest and Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) is a never-ending effort to discover and eliminate the main causes of problems. It accomplishes this by using small-steps improvements, rather than implementing one huge improvement. This report reviews some CI methodologies that have application in research and design process, concentrating on CI to ensure that the physical design output is error free and meeting customer satisfaction.