Design Solutions

Design Solutions

Axiomatic Design provides a systematic and logical methodology for deriving, documenting and optimizing designs.

Improve the quality and performance of complex system and product development with functional requirement analysis and risk mitigation. Identify system complexity and avoid traditional wasteful design-build-test-redesign cycles.


Articles & Publications

View our library of blog articles, technical papers, and recommended books on the subject of Axiomatic Design.


Functional Analysis Mentoring

To help jump-start the process of analyzing and producing a functional specification in a timely manner, Functional Specs, Inc. offers limited support engagements.

  • Recommended for projects that are new or solution changes in the first trimester of the project schedule, where the function specification is on a clear completion schedule with management commitment.

  • A team member assigned as the process champion will become the process and software subject matter expert responsible for capturing a significant portion of the functional decomposition. This is not typically the project or lead engineer. This is typically a design engineer on the project.

  • Functional Specs, Inc. will provide support to quickly help the process champion quickly through the learning curve

  • Functional Specs, Inc. will provide decomposition meeting mentoring, which usually involves small groups of subject matter experts analyzing their relevant branch of the solution.

We support projects remotely via Webex or other similar net meeting connections. Our rates are billed at $250/hour active support.

Project mentoring and training rates are $1,850/ day plus travel expenses when on site is requested. There is a $1,500 per trip international travel surcharge.

Please use the contact form to learn how Functional Specs, Inc. can help your projects take advantage of the insight generated by functional specifications


Renewable Energy and Population Control Initiatives

We take on selected projects in renewable energy and population control pro bono. If you have product, process or business strategy designs in these areas, contact us. We can provide consulting and software to support your efforts.

Please use the contact form for more details.


Training

Functional Specs, Inc. teaches the deployment of functional performance analysis development process across an organization. We partner with our clients to ensure their ultimate success in implementing process change in the design and development process. Individual training schedules can be developed on a case by case basis with clients.

Functional Requirements Analysis and Risk Mitigation with Axiomatic Design

Purpose of course: This course provides the fundamentals of axiomatic design analysis in an overall process of Functional Performance Analysis and Risk Mitigation. Using these tools, the class shows how robustness, quality and risk are analyzed and optimized during the requirements and concept synthesis phase.

Course Venue: The class is offered at client sites. Computers or laptops must be available. A class project selected by the client sponsor will be followed as a working example throughout the class. Any intellectual property developed during the class including from application of the tools will belong to the client.

Intended for: This course is intended for personnel involved in in the development of software, business processes and products. This may include project management, process engineers, project engineers, key staff, and quality engineers (DFSS, ISO, CMMI).

Software Licenses: Students will receive a permanent license to Acclaro DFSS™ Professional Edition software included as part of the course.

Agenda: The training is held over three consecutive days of 6 hours per day. The teaching style is interactive with emphasis on examples and problem solving workshops.

  • The Axiomatic Design process
  • Requirements assessment processes of the customer domain
  • Functional requirements analysis
  • Assessing robustness by coupling analysis
  • Axiom 2 -Robustness analysis at the concept phase
  • Assess and mitigating risk
  • Traceability as a quality tool for system verification
  • Reporting on functional requirements

FRDP Certification

FRDP Certification: Optionally, at the end of the Functional Requirements Analysis and Risk Mitigation Class, students can sit for Functional Requirements Design Professional certification.  This is a 50 question exam with a 70% or better required score.   Students passing the exam are issued a certificate, suitable for framing, of their certification.

Please contact us for more details.


In the words of Professor Nam Suh of MIT, where this process was developed:

Axiomatic design methods work to make design more creative, reduce the random solution search process, minimize iterative trial-and-error processes and determine the best design among those proposed.

Professor Nam Suh of MIT