Combining Design Thinking and Systems Engineering to Improve Customer Outcomes

Abstract

Overview: The field of engineering is a major contributor to the economic stability and growth of the UK and other economies. Therefore, the efficient operation of engineering companies and firms is vital. However, design projects undertaken by large engineering organizations are often beset with a number of problems and constraints that stem from the decision-making process and design process that have been selected. This PhD aims to investigate whether the design processes of design thinking and systems engineering can be combined. This would lead to better customer outcomes and reduced time to market, and thus remove the problems often found in large engineering organizations to improve the overall operational efficiency. The overarching research methodology used in this investigation will be action research and is likely to be predominantly qualitative in nature as it has been found that it is very difficult to establish quantitative metrics for design.