A network-based approach to identify lacking coordination using higher order links

Mechatronic products are getting more complex whereas disciplines becoming more interdependent in future. The coordination of discipline-spanning interfaces is going to play a more important role. Based on literature research and industry interviews this contribution identified the need for a better coordination in interdisciplinary development projects. The presented approach addresses the identification of lacking coordination using higher order links with focus on requirements and their affected stakeholders. A network-based approach takes components and functions into account to meet the characteristics of mechatronic development. Workflows can identify missing links between organizational units via the links between the artefacts. Important steps of the approach were successfully realized in an academic context, but the resulting networked based model bears potentials for further analysis and optimization. Especially an increasingly digitalized development environment requests for a software tool to use the great potentials of automatized support to analyze the system.