Product Proposal and Development Plan: Combining Pen, Pencil, Ruler, and Active Pin

Introduction to the Product

Project Proposal:
In order to align with recent technology & Coop-up with recent customer needs, we will develop a product that will ease students /worker’s needs. Currently, in the market there is a product combine pen and pencil in one piece and another item is active pin which used for high tech.screen (Phone screen, Ipad). The new product that will be develop, is combination of pen, pencil in addition to ruler and active pen. Benefit: ease of use/comfort-ability/light, futurist look and organize. Price of this pin will be decide after designing item and doing customer survey. However, this product should be affordable as our target is certain category.

Report should include:

Product background and project Plan:

1. Product description
Provide a brief description of the product. This should include the following:
A) Introduction to product function, product importance and needs.
B) Product use, variety and targeted customers
C) Product operating principles (scientific idea and technology idea).
D) Similar brand name product and specifications.
E) Standards related to the product and suggested product specifications.

2. Existing Product design
Carry product dissection for the selected product using reverse engineering techniques, and Find the following: [Hint, use lab equipment, tools, and instruments, and camera]
A) CAD drawing for assembly drawings, exploded drawing, and detailed drawing including all dimensions.
B) Product decomposition data. This includes:
BOM including functions and sub-function of the product components, material calculating, and any production requirements.
Product structure and assembly chart.
Identify the functions and sub-function of the product and its components.

3. Project product development plan
Determine the main objectives and feasibility for development and how will be managed. You should carry the following:
A) Define and Prioritize opportunities and assessing development requirement
B) Provide a mission statement for development.
C) Provide a Project Plan: team formation and scheduling (Gantt chart)

Phase 1: Concept Development 

1. Product Needs and Specifications :
A) Identifying the customer needs to provide the attribute required by customers. This done as follows: 
i. Using like/dislike method to gather data, put a questionnaire. It has to consist of 20 to 30 questions regarding your product and make gradation of the importance of the point by putting next to it weights from 1 to 5, 1 being not important at all and 5 being most important of all. For example, if you are doing the design of the desk, a possible question can be: Does the color of the desk matter? Yes No, if yes; how important is the color of the desk? 1 2 3 4 5 (These two statements are considered one question) 

Product Background and Project Plan

ii. Collect answers from a sample of customers (users, lead users, retailer/ sellers, and service departments. 
iii. Develop customer statements from collected answers from customers (they may be more or less than the questions asked) 
iv. Develop customer needs from customer’s statements (they may be more or less than the statements) 
v. Using Kano approach, Recognize the customer needs type for satisfaction, 
vi. Using affinity diagram method, Classify identified needs in terms of engineering characteristics: (1) Material (types and properties); (2) Feature (shape and form); (3) Function (capacity, speed,…); (5) Reliability and durability (product life); (6) Ergonomically (friendly use); (7) Maintainability (ease of maintenance); (8) aesthetic (appearance and look); (9) assembly steps (ease of assembly); (10) cost 

B) Identifying engineering characteristics & metrics (Target Specifications), based on the following: 
i. List engineering characteristics which meet the needs to engineering terms of engineering characteristics classification given above (i.e. one engineering may satisfy one or more needs) 
ii. For each engineering characteristic, Define specified unit (qualitative or quantitative) with corresponding value (value type; equal x; less than y, between x-y ,or larger than x) 
iii. Identify benchmarking specifications 

C) Developing quality function deployment (House of Quality) and finding the probable engineering characteristics and product parts i. In the left, List customer needs and their importance in rows 
ii. In the top, List engineering characteristics & metrics in columns and find the effect of each on the others and improvement status (Large is better (+) or less is better (-) 
iii. In the middle, Develop relationship matrix (relation between needs and engineering metrics) 
iv. In the right, List bench marks and their satisfactory rating to needs, then calculate weighted values for the rating 
v. In bottom, Calculate the weighted values of engineering matrices satisfying needs 
vi. Make table for target values for each engineering matric. 

2. Product Function Analysis 
To understand the product, analyze the function(s) and sub function(s) of the product considering technical, user interface, and overall configuration issues. You should carry out the following: 
A) Identify the main and support functions of the product and its components (cost if possible) 
i. List the function and sub-function of the product, sub-assembly and components using physical decomposition technique which carried out in section (1.2) 

B) Identify and decompose the product function(s) to provide the product function diagram and attributes. Determine the methods can be used to satisfy product value. 

Process of Functional Decomposition: 
a. Define the overall function that needs to be accomplished (Define the main function). 
b. Decompose the function into sub-functions. 
c. Document what (function), not how (form). [Form follows from function, so consider form after defining function]. 
d. Establish logical flow [Place functions in a logical sequence, and employ well-defined logical functions]. 
e. Match inputs and outputs [Function must include all required transformations of energy, materials, or information]. 
f. Break the functions down as finely as possible. 

Product Description

C) Develop function tree. 
The steps necessary to construct the FAST diagram are as follows: 
1) Prepare a list of all the functions by assembly or system using the verb and noun technique of identification of function. 

2) Write each function on a small cards. Select a card with the function that you consider to be the basic function. 

3) Determine logic questions for each function (Why? and How?) to establish the relation between the functions at higher and lower levels that are required to perform the highest-level basic function. When this has been properly done, each function in the entire series is illuminated by a. On the left, "Why it is done (Why is this function performed)?"; and 
b. On the right, "How it is done (How is this function accomplished)?” 

4) Next the question "When?" is asked of each function, and it is diagramed in time sequence in relation to the other functions so that examination of the diagram vertically illuminates the matter of which functions are to be accomplished at the same time and the sequential relationships of all others 

5) Continue FAST diagram until we arrive at a function that is an accepted interface function for the scope of the problem. the scope of the problem is defined and outlined on the FAST diagram by the scope lines (vertical broken lines). 

6) The arrangement of these functions, as shown by the FAST diagram, establishes the critical path. The critical path identifies the functions that are the result of other functions to be performed. 

3. Concept Generation 

Carry out the steps of concept generating ideas as follow: 
Knowledge search for existing ideas (external and internal searches) 
• Identify concepts can be developed from gathered information from patents, literature, benchmarking (competitors) , etc. 
• Identify concepts can be adapted from knowledge of individual, group, etc. 

Finding alternatives and solutions (Exploring ideas) 
• Develop concept classification tree to identify promising sources to develop the product. 
i. Classify several categories (Classes) for possible solutions. 
ii. For each category, classify various solution techniques (technologies and methods). 
iii. Build a tree for each category focusing on the most promising solutions. • Develop concept combination table to provide systematic potential solutions using classification tree for all categories. 
• Find the morphological chart from the combination table focusing on the most promising combination. 

Revising the Solutions and alternatives of ideas 
• Identify opportunities for development/improvement by carrying revision of the above processes. 

4. Concept selection 

Carry Concept screening and concept scoring using Pugh matrix finding: 
• Selected criteria for rating (you should include cost, ease of manufacture and ease of use criteria beside other criteria), 
• Concepts rating and then ranking analysis 

5. Concept testing 

Test the acceptance of the idea and it is meeting needs by carrying the following: 
• Make and carry a survey based on the following: 
i. Developing a survey which contains a. A way of communicating the product concept (sketches, CAD model, description showing specification and advantages) 

b. Method of measuring customer response by asking for his choice of concepts, his reaction to concepts, and his thinking for concept improvement. 
c. A way to measure customer purchase intent based on five response categories. 
ii. Choose sample population and market segments. 
iii. Choose a survey format (interview, electronic means, verbal…) 
• Analyzing the survey and interpret result. Find purchase intent. Make a decision. 

Phase 2 : System level design 
Product Architecture: 
A. Generate different layouts (configurations) 
B. Select the best configuration 
C. Product structure 
D. Exploded drawing, 
E. BOM including functions and sub-function of the product components, material calculating, 

Phase 3 : Detail design 
Final Product Design 
Provide final design details and specifications for the developed product. Product data includes the following: 
A. CAD drawing for assembly drawings, and detailed drawing including all dimensions. 
B. Production requirements. 
C. Assembly chart 

Phase 4 : Testing and refinement 
Assess the developed product design 
A. Assess the design by rating importance with respect ergonomic (ease of use, ease of maintenance, user interaction, safety), 
B. Assess the design by rating importance with respect aesthetic (product differentiation, team motivation, proud (ownership, fashion, or image) , and 
C. Assess the design by rating performance of product quality (user interface quality. emotional appeal, ability to maintain and repair the product, appropriate of resources, product differentiation) 

Develop DFM process 
Estimate costs and make decision for cost reduction using BOM and calculating the following: 
A. Total unit variable cost = Σ manufactured and standard components variable cost. This determined from material cost, processing cost (processing time* [machine + labor] cost), assembly cost (assembly time* [machine if any+ labor] cost). 
B. Total unit fixed cost = Σ manufactured components fixed cost. This determined from tooling and nonrecurring expenses (NRE) costs and tooling life. 
C. Total unit direct cost = Total unit variable cost + Total unit fixed cost 
D. Overhead charges for material, processing, assembly, and tooling 
E. Total unit cost = Total unit direct cost + Overhead charges