Cours64

Doctorat en Productique, Cranfield University - Angleterre.

“Improving design coordination in computer supported environment in SME’s: implementation of a tool for capturing and analysing collaboration between actors”.

Thèse réalisée au laboratoire de recherche LIPSI à l’école d’ingénieur ESTIA, Bidart (64).

Encadrants: Graham JARED (Cranfield University) et Christophe MERLO (LIPSI).

Sujet

Mise au point d’une méthode d’analyse de la collaboration en PME pour améliorer la coordination de projet. Implémentation d’un outil d’analyse spécifique nommé CoCa pour supporter cette méthode d’analyse et prototypage de maquettes sous Windchill pour coordonner les projets.

Abstract

To remain competitive in a context of multi-partner projects companies are increasingly concerned with the coordination of design projects. Information systems such as PLM or CSCW are implemented to support the coordination of product information flows. Project managers are nevertheless finding it increasingly difficult to manage projects effectively. The impact of collaboration aspects on the design process is especially difficult for them to evaluate. Indeed, failing to integrate collaboration aspects into coordination can account for a great deal of design mistakes and finding a solution could lead to improved design coordination.

The main objective of this research is then to help project managers improve coordination in design processes through a detailed analysis of collaboration between actors. A model of coordination and an associated model of collaboration have been devised together with a tool (“CoCa”) to be used by researchers, consultants or project managers in the analysis of collaboration. This analysis can lead to the understanding of collaboration aspects and identification of the problems caused.

Consequently, guidelines can be defined to prevent the re-emergence of the identified design problems in new projects. These guidelines are recommendations to introduce collaborative aspects, flexibility in the design process and elements for decision making when defining future design situations. Finally, a study of a specific application implementing PLM tools demonstrates that they are not able to manage firstly design projects and human resources whilst taking into account collaborative aspects or, secondly, the necessary synchronisation between human design activities and document workflow tasks. It is thus evident that these two factors are needed in PLM tools in order to apply the proposed model of coordination.

An industrial partnership with an SME led to the study of its information system, an experiment with the CoCa tool, practical design process improvements, and implementation of a PLM prototype.

Publications

G. Pol, C. Merlo, J. Legardeur, G. Jared, “Implementation of collaborative design processes into PLM systems”, International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management (IJPLM), inderscience publishers, volume 3, issue 4, 2008, p. 279 - 294, DOI: 10.1504/IJPLM.2008.027006.

C. Merlo, G. Pol, G. Jared, J. Legardeur, “From collaborative practices analysis to improvements in the definition of pdm workflows”, in the proceedings of ICED’07, Paris, 2007.

G. Pol, C. Merlo, J. Legardeur, G. Jared, “Supporting collaboration in product design through PLM system customization”, In Product Lifecycle Management: Assessing the industrial relevance, M.Garetti, S.Terzi, P.Ball, S.Han (editors), PLM’07, Milano, Italy, 2007, p. 21-30, ISBN 0-907776-32-9.

G. Pol, C. Merlo, J. Legardeur, G. Jared, “Analysing collaborative practices in design to support project managers”, International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, volume 20, issue 7, October 2007, p654-668.

C. Merlo, G. Pol, G. Jared, J. Legardeur, “Collaborative practices analysis in design teams”, In the proceedings of Virtual Concept 2006, Cancun, 26 November - 1 December, 2006.

Merlo, C., Pol, G., Jared, G., Legardeur, J. and Girard, P., “A Tool For Analysing Collaborative Practices In Project Design”, in Information Control Problems in Manufacturing 2006, Proceedings from the 12th IFAC International Symposium, Saint Etienne, France, 17-19 May 2006, 709-714, ISBN 978-0-08-044654-7

G. Pol, G.Jared, C.Merlo, J.Legardeur “Prerequisites for the implementation of a product data and process management tool in SME”, in the proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED 2005, Melbourne, August 15-18 , 2005.

G. Pol, G.Jared, B.Eynard, C.Merlo, “Toward PLM implementation method in SME”, in the proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED 2005, Melbourne, August 15-18 , 2005.

Merlo C., Pol G., Jared G., Legardeur J., Girard P. “Controlling Collaboration for Engineering Design Coordination” 17th IMACS World Congress for the session “Engineering of design system and product life-cycle management”, Lille, July 11-15 2005.

Pol G., Merlo C., Jared G., Legardeur J. “From PDM systems to integrated project management systems: a case study”, PLM 2005, 11-13 July, Lyon.

Guillaume Pol, Christophe Merlo, Jérémy Legardeur, Graham Jared “Vers le pilotage de la collaboration en conception de produits: cas d'étude d’une PME”, 9éme colloque national AIP primeca “méthodes et modèles innovants pour la conception de systèmes innovants”, 5-8 avril 2005, Laplagne (France).