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Article
Managing uncertainty in potential supplier identification
Design of Complex Engineered Systems (2014)
  • Yun Ye, Ecole Centrale Paris
  • Marija Jankovic, Ecole Centrale Paris
  • Gül E. Kremer, The Pennsylvania State University
  • Jean-Claude Bocquet, Ecole Centrale Paris
Abstract
As a benefit of modularization of complex systems, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can choose suppliers in a less constricted way when faced with new or evolving requirements. However, new suppliers usually add uncertainties to the system development. Because suppliers are tightly integrated into the design process in modular design and therefore greatly influence the outcome of the OEM's products, the uncertainty along with requirements satisfaction of the suppliers and their modules should be controlled starting from potential supplier identification. In addition, to better satisfy new requirements, the potential supplier identification should be combined with architecture generation to enable the new technology integration. In this paper, we propose the Architecture & Supplier Identification Tool, which generates all possible architectures and corresponding suppliers based on new requirements through matrix mapping and propagation. Using the Architecture & Supplier Identification Tool, the overall uncertainty and requirements satisfaction of generated architectures can be estimated and controlled. The proposed method aims at providing decision support for early design of complex systems, thereby helping OEMs have an integrated view of suppliers and system architectures in requirements satisfaction and overall uncertainty.

Keywords
  • Complex System Design,
  • Modularity,
  • Potential Supplier Identification,
  • Uncertainty Management
Publication Date
2014
DOI
10.1017/S0890060414000511
Publisher Statement
Copyright Cambridge University Press 2014
Citation Information
Yun Ye, Marija Jankovic, Gül E. Kremer and Jean-Claude Bocquet. "Managing uncertainty in potential supplier identification" Design of Complex Engineered Systems Vol. 28 Iss. 4 (2014) p. 339 - 351
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/gul-kremer/9/