skip to content

Engineering Design Centre

 

Modelling change in systems

The Change Management Group researches the impact of change propagation in complex systems made up of components, activities or people. In particular, we are researching how knowledge of change propagation can influence the development of product architectures and design processes:

  • by generating a better understanding of the nature of change in complex systems;
  • by challenging current management of change practice in product and service design;
  • by developing novel and useful design change management and visualisation tools.

Our research is driven by practice. We are currently working with Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GKN Aerospace, BT, Laing O’Rourke and others to deliver on a variety of research topics and to define the priorities for future study.

We have developed a novel approach to change propagation analysis, known as the Change Prediction Method (CPM), to assist in the management of complex systems. A software tool, the Cambridge Advanced Modeller (CAM), which supports CPM and the use of Dependency Structure Matrices has been developed and is being used in industry. An edited book on Design Process Improvement was published by Springer in 2005.

Group Members

Associated Projects

Development of Interdisciplinary Assessment for manufacturing and deSign

DIAS develops and demonstrates the integrated multidisciplinary tools necessary to speed up implantation and design integration of Open Rotor structural components in next generation aircraft. This requires more flexible design studies, allowing a wider set of design variants to be explored simultaneously with accounting for manufacturing equipment and process applicability.

DIAS 
 

Tools

Cambridge Advanced Modeller 2

Cambridge Advanced Modeller 2 is a software tool for modelling and analysing the dependencies and flows in complex systems such as products, processes and organisations. It provides a diagrammer, simulation tool, DSM tool and a variety of toolboxes. CAM is free for research, teaching and evaluation.

Download
 

Books

Design Process Improvement: A Review of Current Practice

Edited by: John Clarkson, Claudia Eckert. Springer.

There is always room for improvement in design, whether it be a better product or for a better design process. Experience of working with automotive, aerospace and healthcare companies has shown that effective communication, management of change and process planning are essential for effective product development process.

Book   

Modelling and Management of Engineering Processes

Edited by: Peter Heisig, John Clarkson, Sandor Vajna. Springer.

This first book on Modelling and Management of Engineering Processes (MMEP) presents leading national and international research in the fields of engineering design, process modelling in engineering design and product development, and innovation management selected for the first international conference MMEP 2010.

Book   

Modelling and Management of Engineering Processes

Edited by: Peter Heisig, John Clarkson. Cambridge Engineering Design Centre.

This second book on Modelling and Management of Engineering Processes (MMEP) presents leading national and international research in the fields of engineering design, process modelling in engineering design and product development, and innovation management selected for the second international workshop MMEP 2012.

Download
 

Managing Complexity by Modelling Dependencies

Edited by: David Wynn, Matthias Kreimeyer, Katharina Eben, Maik Maurer, Udo Lindemann, John Clarkson. Hauser Publishing.

Dependency and Structure Modelling (DSM) techniques support the management of complexity by focusing attention on the elements of a complex system and how they are related to each other. DSMs can assist in understanding, designing and optimising complex systems including products, processes and organisations.

Book