Complexity management in engineering design -- a primer

• Main Author: Maurer, Maik (Author)
• Format: Electronic eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin, Germany : Springer Vieweg, 2017.
• Subjects: Engineering design.; elektronické knihy; electronic books
• ISBN: 9783662534489; 9783662534472
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

The treatise supports understanding the phenomena of complexity in engineering, distinguishes complexity from other challenges and presents an overview of definitions and applied approaches. The historical background of complexity management is explained by highlighting the important epochs, their k...

Table of Contents:

• Foreword; Acknowledgement; Contents; 1: Initial Thoughts; 2: The Omnipresence of Complexity; 2.1 About the Basic Complexity Survival Skills for Engineers; 2.2 Who Should Read This Thesis?; 2.3 Structure of the Thesis; References; 3: Introducing Complexity in Engineering; 3.1 Composition of Complex Systems; 3.2 Complexity Definitions; 3.3 Impact of Complexity; 3.4 Established Complexity Management in Engineering; 3.4.1 Operations Research; 3.4.2 Systems Engineering; 3.4.3 System Dynamics; 3.4.4 Dependency Modeling; References; 4: History of Complexity Management.
• 4.1 The Emergence of System Thinking4.1.1 The World View of Aristotle; 4.1.2 Mechanical Philosophy; 4.1.3 Opposition to the Mechanical Philosophy; 4.2 Bertalanffyś General Systems Theory; 4.3 Development of Complexity Management; 4.3.1 Impact from the Second World War; 4.3.2 Cybernetics; 4.3.2.1 Norbert Wiener; 4.3.2.2 The Scientific Approach of Cybernetics; 4.3.2.3 The Macy Conferences; 4.3.2.4 Decoding the Basics of Self-organizing Systems; 4.3.2.5 The Bio-Cybernetics of Frederic Vester; 4.3.2.6 Management-Cybernetics by Stafford Beer; 4.3.2.7 Breakthrough in the German-Speaking Area.
• 4.3.2.8 Status Quo and Outlook4.3.3 Operations Research; 4.3.4 Systems Engineering; 4.3.5 System Dynamics; 4.3.6 Game Theory; 4.4 Discussion of Historical Developments; References; 5: Classification of Complexity Management Approaches in Engineering; 5.1 A Map of Complexity Management Approaches; 5.2 The Main Research Areas of Engineering Complexity; 5.2.1 Product Development; 5.2.2 Systems Engineering; 5.2.3 Complex Systems; 5.2.4 Software Engineering; 5.2.5 Management Science; 5.2.6 Complexity Theory; 5.2.7 Complex Networks; 5.3 Discipline Overlaps; 5.4 Discussion; References.
• 6: A Complexity Management Framework6.1 System Definition; 6.2 Identify the Type of Complexity; 6.3 Strategies and Associated Methods for Handling Complexity; 6.3.1 Create Transparency by System Views; 6.3.2 Avoid or Reduce Complexity; 6.3.3 Manage and Control Complexity; 6.4 System Modeling: The Challenge of Information Acquisition; 6.4.1 Requirements for Information Acquisition; 6.4.1.1 Adequate Level of Detail; 6.4.1.2 Accessibility, Traceability and Extensibility; 6.4.1.3 Systematic Procedure; 6.4.2 Methods of Information Acquisition; 6.4.2.1 Analog and Digital Surveys.
• 6.4.2.2 Documentation6.4.2.3 Observation; 6.4.2.4 Interview; 6.4.2.5 Estimations; 6.4.3 Barriers Against Successful Information Acquisition; 6.4.3.1 Input Orientation; 6.4.3.2 Lack of Motivation; 6.4.3.3 Intentional Concealment; 6.4.3.4 Cognitive Limits; 6.4.3.5 Social Pressure; 6.4.3.6 System-level Knowledge; 6.4.3.7 Lack of Resources; 6.4.3.8 Dilemma of Product Design; 6.4.3.9 A Priori Problem and Subjectivity; 6.5 Complexity Management Implementation; References; 7: Summary and Future Challenges; References; Index.