Validating a Design Method to Improve Collaboration in Distributed Product Design

Abstract

One promising approach to deal with the increasingly complex and volatile conditions of product design is to work in distributed teams. However, this also poses new challenges that can result in efficiency and effectiveness losses. To overcome these challenges, the EDiT method -Enabling Distributed Teams -is currently being developed to enable distributed teams to identify and exploit improvement potentials in collaboration. To develop design methods that address the needs of their intended users, continuous and iterative validation during the whole method development process is of particular importance. This enables design methods to be adapted to the needs of their users at an early stage and to be further enhanced in a targetoriented manner. The question arises, what needs to be considered in supporting the continuous and iterative validation of the EDiT method. To address this need, this contribution focuses on the development of a process model that supports the method developer with the continuous and iterative validation of the EDiT method. To generate an understanding of what needs to be considered in supporting the validation of the EDiT method based on existing frameworks for method validation, three partial models were examined using a literature review, expert interviews, and a questionnaire. Each partial model yielded one key result: six paradigms outlining the validation of design methods, target relations to illustrate the interrelationships of the influences of the EDiT method, and nine requirements that are placed on a process model for the validation of the EDiT method. The underlying theoretical assumptions generated by the three partial models were eventually integrated into the process model. Finally, the results can be used to continuously improve the EDiT method while simultaneously demonstrate its benefits, to ultimately provide the potential for increased method acceptance in practice.

IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERS AT PROTEKTORWERK FLORENZ MAISCH GMBH & CO. KG THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF THE INKTI – INTERDEPARTMENTAL KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IMPROVEMENT METHOD

“…The third and last validation type is laboratory testing through a computer simulation of the test object and the field input influences. To improve the development of methods, those must also be validated during the process of development to minimize or even eliminate problems like lack of tool support or unsatisfactory adaption of the method to the application environment (Dühr et al, 2022). By validating a method, it is important to consider external influences such as the motivation or condition of the participants.…”

“…Reliability is about getting the same results when repeating the implementation of the method whereas validity is a matter of ensuring the method measures the right conditions and creates improvement where it is supposed to (Himme, 2007). Dühr et al (2022) designed an approach specifically for validating methods in field studies, which ensures transferability to other research environments. They outline the following approaches to validate methods: The Validation Square by Pedersen et al (2000), the Concept map by Üreten et al (2019), and the Design Research Methodology (DRM) by Blessing and Chakrabarti (2009).…”