Different levels of product model granularity in design process simulation

The design of many products is incremental, based on a prior architecture and may be thought of as a series of changes to an existing design. Nonetheless, design changes and their propagation complicate design process planning. They are a major source of rework and lead to frequent rescheduling and reprioritisation of design tasks. Few methods exist to estimate the impact of such planning decisions with regard to both the design process and the product. Process simulation may provide support in this context when it is based on an appropriate description of the product. However, it can be hard to determine a suitable level of description, or granularity, for the product model. This article explores, by reference to a diesel engine, the implications of product model granularity for simulating design change propagation, and design process planning.