Complexity drivers in engineering design

Abstract

Purpose In the era of industry 4.0, managing the design is a challenging mission. Within a dynamic environment, several disciplines have adopted the complex adaptive system (CAS) perspective. Therefore, this paper aims to explore how we may deepen our understanding of the design process as a CAS. In this respect, the key complexity drivers of the design process are discussed and an organizational decomposition for the simulation of the design process as CAS is conducted. Design/methodology/approach The proposed methodology comprises three steps. First, the complexity drivers of the design process are presented and are matched with those of CAS. Second, an analysis of over 111 selected papers is presented to choose the appropriate model for the design process from the CAS theory. Third, the paper provides methodological guidelines to develop an organizational decision support system that supports the complexity of the design process. Findings An analysis of the key drivers of design process complexity shows the need to adopt the CAS theory. In addition to that, a comparative analysis between all the organizational methodologies developed in the literature leads the authors to conclude that agent-oriented Software Process for engineering complex System is the appropriate methodology for simulating the design process. In this respect, a system requirements phase of the decision support system is conducted. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the fact of analysing the complexity of the design process as a CAS. In doing so, all the richness of the CAS theory can be used to meet the challenges of those already existing in the theory of the design.

Public procurement of engineering services: the influence of task characteristics on organisational control

“…Organisational control is crucial for every organisation (Das and Teng, 2001). However, engineering services are especially challenging for the client to control, due to their uncertainty and non-linear processes (Benabdellah et al. , 2020).…”

“…Organisational control is crucial for every organisation (Das and Teng, 2001). However, engineering services are especially challenging for the client to control, due to their uncertainty and non-linear processes (Benabdellah et al, 2020). In their extensive literature review of empirical research on organisational control, Cardinal et al (2017) find that the most dominant theoretical framework is based on the work of Ouchi (1979Ouchi ( , 1980, who distinguishes three control modes (also called systems): market, bureaucracy and clan.…”

“…Services are characterised as uncertain and complex (van der Valk and Rozemeijer, 2009;Wynstra et al, 2018), which makes specification, evaluation, and procurement difficult for the client (Wynstra et al, 2018). Since engineering services typically involve the development of creative solutions to emergent challenges (Pirzadeh et al, 2021), these services are important for the public sector in the development of society (Benabdellah et al, 2020). Furthermore, engineering services play an essential role in the success of construction projects (K€ arn€ a and Junnonen, 2017) and they are typically performed in highly iterative and cyclical processes, which adds to the uncertainty (Mitchell et al, 2011;Benabdellah et al, 2020).…”

“…Furthermore, engineering services play an essential role in the success of construction projects (Kärnä and Junnonen, 2017) and they are typically performed in highly iterative and cyclical processes, which adds to the uncertainty (Mitchell et al. , 2011; Benabdellah et al. , 2020).…”

Improving the performance of civil engineering projects through the integrated design process

“…The design process is strongly affected by complexity (Benabdellah, 2020). While many aspects determining complexity emerge from research (Bosch-Rekveldt, 2011), it is commonly understood that the complexity of civil engineering projects is influenced by internal and external aspects anyway.…”