Product Specifications

Cooper Part of the product definition Product features, attributes, requirements

Ulrich and Eppinger What the product has to do, not how Consists of a metric and a value

What Are Specifications? Product specs spell out in precise, measurable detail what the product has to do. Product specifications do not tell the team how to address the customer needs. For example: customer need: the suspension is easy to install corresponding specification might be: the average time to assemble the fork to the frame is less than 75 seconds.

A specification (singular) consists of a metric and a value. For example, average time to assemble is a metric, while less than 75 seconds is the value of this metric. The product specifications (plural) are simply the set of the individual specifications.

When Are Specifications Established? Immediately after identifying the customer needs, the team sets target specifications. Target specifications represent the hopes and aspirations of the team, but they are established before the team knows what constraints the product technology will place on what can be achieved. The teams efforts may fail to meet some of these specifications and may exceed others, depending on the product concept the team eventually select. For this reason, the target specifications must be refined after a product concept has been selected.

Team revisits specs. while assessing actual technological constraints & expected production costs. To set the final specifications, the team makes trade-offs among different desirable characteristics of the product.

Coopers Stage-Gate NPD Process

Coopers Stage 2: Business Case What is the product and whom will it be sold to? (the product definition) Target market Product concept and benefits delivered Positioning strategy Products features, attributes, requirements

Why invest in this project? Thorough project justification

How will it be undertaken, when, by whom, at what cost? (the project plan)

Ulrich and Eppingers Product Development Process

Planning

Concept Develop.

SystemLevel Design

Detail Design

Testing And Refinement

Production Ramp-Up

Marketin g Design Mfg Other

Concept Development Phase (U & E)

Process of Establishing the Target Specifications 1. Prepare the list of metrics (using the needs-metrics matrix, if necessary) . 2. Collect the competitive benchmarking information. 3. Set ideal and marginally acceptable target values for each metric. 4. Reflect on the results and the process.

Step 1: Prepare the List of Metrics

Most useful metrics are those that reflect as directly as possible the degree to which the product satisfies the customer needs Ideally, there is one and only one metric for each need. In practice, this is frequently not possible. A simple needs-metrics matrix represents the relationship between needs and metrics. The rows of the matrix correspond to the customer needs, and the columns of the matrix correspond to the metrics.
Rox Tahx Quadra

This matrix is a key element of the House of Quality, a graphical technique used in Quality Function Deployment, or QFD
Rox Tahx Ti 21 ST Tritrack

Product Specifications Example: Mountain Bike Suspension Fork Start with the Customer Needs

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Link Metrics to Needs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Cycles in mud chamber w/o contamination UV test duration to degrade rubber parts Time to disassemble/assemble for maintenance Attenuation from dropout to handlebar at 10hz

Special tools required for maintenance

Time in spray chamber w/o water entry

Damping coefficient adjustment range

Minimum descent time on test track

N eed 1 reduces vibration to the hands. 2 allow easy traversal of slow difficult terrain. s , 3 enables high speed descents on bum trails. py 4 allow sensitivity adjustm s ent. 5 preserves the steering characteristics of the bike. 6 rem ains rigid during hard cornering. 7 is lightw eight. 8 provides stiff m ounting points for the brakes. 9 fits a w variety of bikes, w ide heels, and tires. 10 is easy to install. 11 w orks w fenders. ith 12 instills pride. 13 is affordable for an am ateur enthusiast. 14 is not contam inated by water. 15 is not contam inated by grunge. 16 can be easily accessed for m aintenance. 17 allow easy replacem of w parts. s ent orn 18 can be m aintained w readily available tools. ith 19 lasts a long tim e. 20 is safe in a crash.

Guidelines for Constructing Metrics

Bending strength (frontal loading)

Maximum value from the Monster

Japan Industrial Standards test

Lateral stiffness at brake pivots

Maximum travel (26in wheel)

Time to assemble to frame

Lateral stiffness at the tip

Metric

Monster cycles to failure

Unit manufacturing cost

Fender compatibility

Maximum tire width

Steertube length

Spring pre-load

Headset sizes

Wheel sizes

Instills pride

Rake offset

Total mass

Metrics should be complete. Ideally each customer need would correspond to a single metric, and the value of that metric would correlate perfectly with satisfaction of that need. Metrics should include the popular criteria for comparisons in the marketplace. For example, popular science, customer reports or Bicycling and mountain Bike magazines. Metrics should be dependent, not independent, variables. Variant of the what-not-how principle Specifications indicate what the product must do, but not how the specifications will be achieved. Designers use many types of variables in product development; some are dependent, such as the mass of the fork, and some are independent, such as the material used for the fork.

Use Dependent Metrics Example: Designers cannot control mass directly because it arises from other independent decisions the designers will make, such as, dimensions and materials choices. Metrics specify the overall performance of a product and should therefore be the dependent variables ( i.e., the performance measures or output variables)

Metrics should be practical. Metrics will be directly observable or analyzable properties of the product that can be easily evaluated by the team. Some needs cannot easily be translated into quantifiable metrics. Team notes that the metric is subjective and would be evaluated by a panel of customers. (Subj.)

Step2: Collect Competitive Benchmarking Information Information on competing products must be gathered to support product positioning decisions. Warning: Sometimes the data contained in competitors catalogs and supporting literature are not accurate. If possible, verify by independent testing or observation.

Benchmark on Customer Needs

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Metric Attenuation from dropout to handlebar at 10hz Spring pre-load Maximum value from the Monster Minimum descent time on test track Damping coefficient adjustment range Maximum travel (26in wheel) Rake offset Lateral stiffness at the tip Total mass Lateral stiffness at brake pivots

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Units dB N g s N-s/m mm mm kN/m kg kN/m

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9 Headset sizes

in

8 15 10 15 9 550 760 500 710 480 3.6 3.2 3.7 3.3 3.7 13 11.3 12.6 11.2 13.2 0 0 0 200 0 28 48 43 46 33 41.5 39 38 38 43.2 59 110 85 85 65 1.409 1.385 1.409 1.364 1.222 295 550 425 425 325 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.125 1.000 1.125 1.000 1.125 1.250 1.125 1.250 1.125 150 180 210 230 255 26in 1.5 35 Zefal 1 65 1300 15 160 140 165 190 215 150 170 190 210

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mm list in s list subj US$ s k-cycles s list hours cycles binary MN

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26in 26in 1.75 1.5 35 45 none none 4 3 105 85 2900 >3600 19 15 245 215

hex hex hex 400+ 250 400+ 500k+ 500k+ 500k+ pass pass pass 55 89 75

150 170 150 190 190 210 210 230 220 NA 26in 700C 26in 26in 1.75 1.5 1.5 45 35 85 none none all 5 3 5 115 80 100 >3600 2300 >3600 25 18 35 245 200 425 hex, long pin hex hex wrnch 400+ 400+ 250 480k 500k+ 330k pass pass pass 75 62 102

Step3: Set Ideal and Marginally Acceptable Target Values for Each Metric
Two types of target values are useful: an ideal value and a marginally acceptable value. The ideal value is the best result the team could hope for.

Gunhill Head Shox

Rox Tahx Quadra

Rox Tahx Ti 21

ST Tritrack

Tonka Pro

Maniray 2

Need #s

Metric #

The marginally acceptable value is the value of the metric that would just barely make the product commercially viable.

Five ways to express the values of the metrics

At least X - Establish targets for the lower bound on a metric, but higher are still better. At most X - Establish targets for the upper bound on a metric, with smaller values being better. Between X and Y - Establish both upper and lower bounds for the value of a metric. Exactly X - Establish a target of a particular value of a metric, with any deviation degrading performance. A set of discrete values - Some metrics will have values corresponding to several discrete choices. Example: The headset diameters are 1.000, 1.125, or 1.250 inches.

Step 4: Reflect on the Results and the Process

The team may require some iteration to agree on the targets. Are members of the team gaming? For example, is the key marketing representative insisting that an aggressive value is required for a particular metric in the hopes that by setting a high goal.

Should the team consider offering multiple products or at least multiple options for the product in order to best match the particular needs of more than one market segment, or will one average product suffice?

Are any specifications missing? Do the specifications reflect the characteristics that will dictate commercial success? Assign Marginal and Ideal Values

Marginal Value

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Metric Attenuation from dropout to handlebar at 10hz Spring pre-load Maximum value from the Monster Minimum descent time on test track Damping coefficient adjustment range Maximum travel (26in wheel) Rake offset Lateral stiffness at the tip Total mass Lateral stiffness at brake pivots

Units dB N g s N-s/m mm mm kN/m kg kN/m in

11 Headset sizes

12 Steertube length 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Wheel sizes Maximum tire width Time to assemble to frame Fender compatibility Instills pride Unit manufacturing cost Time in spray chamber w/o water entry Cycles in mud chamber w/o contamination Time to disassemble/assemble for maintenance Special tools required for maintenance UV test duration to degrade rubber parts Monster cycles to failure Japan Industrial Standards test Bending strength (frontal loading)

mm list in s list subj US$ s k-cycles s list hours cycles binary MN

>10 >15 480 - 800 650 - 700 <3.5 <3.2 <13.0 <11.0 0 >200 33 - 50 45 37 - 45 38 >65 >130 <1.4 <1.1 >325 >650 1.000 1.000 1.125 1.125 1.250 150 150 170 170 190 190 210 210 230 26in 26in 700c >1.5 >1.75 <60 <35 none all >3 >5 <85 <65 >2300 >3600 >15 >35 <300 <160 hex hex >250 >450 >300k >500k pass pass >70 >100

Setting Final Specs: A Five-Step Process

1. Develop technical models of the product 2. Develop a cost model of the product 3. Refine the specifications , making trade-offs where necessary 4. Flow down the specifications as appropriate 5. Reflect on the results and the process

Step 1: Develop Technical Models of the Product

Ideal Value

A technical model of the product is a tool for predicting the values of the metrics for a particular set of design decisions. Models both analytical and physical approximations of the product. When physical models must be constructed, it is often useful to use DOE techniques to minimize the number of experiments required to explore the design space.

Step 2: Develop a Cost Model of the Product

Goal: to make sure that the product can be produced at the target cost. For most products, the first estimates of manufacturing costs are completed by drafting a bill of materials (BOM) and estimating a purchase price or fabrication cost for each part.

Step 3: Refine the Specifications, making Trade-Offs where necessary

One important tool for supporting this decision-making process is the competitive map. This map is a scatter plot of the competitive products along two dimensions selected from the set of metrics. Generally the team will prepare three or four such maps corresponding to a handful of critical metrics.

Competitive map

The Final Specifications

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Step 4: Flow down the Specifications as Appropriate

For highly complex product consisting of multiple subsystems:

To ensure that the subsystem specifications in fact reflect the overall product specifications.

to ensure that certain specifications for different subsystems are equally difficult to meet (e.g. mass of engine & engine body)

Step 5: Reflect on the Results and the Process

Is the product a winner? How much uncertainty is there in the technical and cost models? Is the concept chosen by the team best suited to the target market, or could it be best applied in another market? Should the firm initiate a formal effort to develop better technical models of some aspect of the products performance for future use?