A methodology for portfolio-level analysis of system commonality
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163_2012_151_ReferencePDF.pdf
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2.08 MB
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Author(s)
Hofstetter, Wilfried K.
Crawley, Edward F
Date Issued
February 2013
Journal
Research in Engineering Design
Publisher
Springer London
Citation
Hofstetter, Wilfried K., and Edward F. Crawley. “A Methodology for Portfolio-Level Analysis of System Commonality.” Research in Engineering Design 24, no. 4 (February 13, 2013): 349–373.
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
Complex systems are increasingly being developed as part of portfolios or sets of related complex systems. This enables synergies such as commonality between portfolio systems that can significantly reduce portfolio life-cycle cost and risk. While offering these benefits, commonality usually also incurs up-front as well as life-cycle penalties in cost and risk due to increased design complexity. The resulting trade-off needs to be carried out during the architecting stage of the portfolio life cycle when there is maximum leverage to improve life-cycle properties due to degrees of freedom available in architectural and design decisions. This paper outlines a 4-step methodology for the identification and assessment of commonality opportunities in complex systems portfolios during the architecting stage of the portfolio life cycle. The methodology transforms a solution-neutral description of a portfolio of aerospace systems based on system functionality, requirements, and metrics into a set of preferred portfolio design solutions with commonality. The methodology is based on a 2-stage approach that identifies preferred architectures for each system in the portfolio individually prior to heuristic commonality analysis between systems based on a pairwise assessment of system overlap in functionality, technologies, operational environments, and scale. Application of the methodology is demonstrated with a retrospective analysis of NASA’s Saturn launch vehicle portfolio.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00163-012-0151-z
