Front-end conceptual platform modeling

Abstract

Platform thinking has been the subject of investigation and deployment in many projects in both academia and industry. Most contributions involve the restructuring of product programs, and only a few support front-end development of a new platform in parallel with technology development. This contribution deals with the development of product platforms in front-end projects and introduces a modeling tool: the Conceptual Product Platform model. State of the art within platform modeling forms the base of a modeling formalism for a Conceptual Product Platform model. The modeling formalism is explored through an example and applied in a case in which the Conceptual Product Platform model has supported the front-end development of a platform for an electro-active polymer technology. The case describes the contents of the model and how its application supported the development work in the project. The conclusion is that the Conceptual Product Platform model supports stakeholders in achieving an overview of the development tasks and communicating these across multidisciplinary development teams, as well as making decisions on the contents of the platform and providing a link between technical solutions and market requirements.