Design Process Sequencing With Competent Genetic Algorithms

Abstract

In product design, it is critical to perform project activities in an appropriate sequence. Otherwise, essential information will not be available when it is needed, and activities that depend on it will proceed using assumptions instead. Later, when the real information is finally available, comparing it with the assumptions made often precipitates a cascade of rework, and thus cost and schedule overruns for the project. Information flow models have been used to sequence the engineering design process to minimize feedback and iteration, i.e., to maximize the availability of real information where assumptions might otherwise be made instead. In this paper, we apply Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to an information flow model to find an optimized sequence for a set of design activities. The optimality of a solution depends on the objective of rearrangement. In an activity sequencing context, objectives vary: reducing iteration/feedback, increasing concurrency, reducing development lead-time and cost, or some combination of these. We adopt a matrix-based representation scheme, the design structure matrix (DSM), for the information flow models. Our tests indicate that certain DSM characteristics (e.g., size, sparseness, and sequencing objective) cause serious problems for simple Genetic Algorithm (SGA) designs. To cope with the SGA deficiency, we investigate the use of a competent GA: the ordering messy GA (OmeGA). Tests confirm the superiority of the OmeGA over a SGA for hard DSM problems. Extensions enhancing the efficiency of both a SGA and the OmeGA, in particular, niching and hybridization with a local search method, are also investigated.

Design Structure Matrix and Project Management: bibliometric analysis

“…On the other hand, Meier, Yassine and Browning (2007) apply Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to an information flow model to find an optimized sequence for a set of design activities. The optimality of a solution depends on the objective of rearrangement.…”

A Hybrid Model for Dynamic Simulation of Custom Software Projects in a Multiproject Environment

“…The first approach, as shown in [3,13], requires statistical chraracterizing of the problem and it is oriented basically toward risk assessment. Lee and Miller [11] is another example combining dynamic simulation with project management techniques.…”

Decomposition analysis of the multidisciplinary coupling in LED System-in-Package design using a DSM and a specification language

“…An often used criterion is the number of super diagonal marks (in Stewards convention), but many other sequencing objectives have been defined (see e.g. Meier et al (2007) for a short overview). A system without feedback coupling can be sequentially designed.…”

“…Figure 5 gives an illustration of partitioning a DSM. Note that in the context of time or task based (directed) DSMs, partitioning may be used to transform the DSM into block angular form to identify the blocks that are without coupling (Meier et al 2007). Partitioning an FDT (which is undirected) aims to reveal patterns that allow decomposition of the optimization problem (Wagner and Papalambros 1993).…”