Measuring performance change in the mechanical design process arena

Measurement of the design process is an issue facing business and academic practitioners alike. This paper outlines an approach used to formalize design process measurement within a large electromechanical original equipment manufacturer (OEM) by applying a derivation of the Carnegie-Mellon/Software Engineering Institute systems engineering capability maturity model(R) (SE-CMM(R)), entitled the process capability model mechanical design (PCM-MD). This new model was created using a similar structure and format of questions as the SE-CMM(R), with modifications to suit mechanical engineering terminology. This was then applied to the mechanical engineering design department of the partner company where it was successfully piloted and then reapplied to produce a picture of how the effectiveness or otherwise of the processes associated with their multidisciplinary mechanical design function altered over time. This work provided the building blocks for further detailed studies to be carried out at other sites in the same company and within the mechanical engineering departments of other firms.