• Better product-process coordination: Explicit evaluation of the product with r< _ to manufacturing criteria improves the product's manufachtrability and help to ma the product with the process capabilities of the firm.
• Reduced time to product introduction: A structured method becomes a common language among design engineers, manufacturing engineers, industrial designers, marketers, and project managers, resulting in decreased ambiguity, faster communication. and fewer false starts.
• Effective group decision making: Within the development team, organizational philosophy and guidelines, willingness of members to participate, and team member experience may constrain the concept selection process. A structured method encourages decision making based on objective criteria and minimizes the likelihood that arbitrary or personal factors influence the product concept.
• Documentation of the decision process: A structured method results in a readily understood archive of the rationale behind concept decisions. This record is useful for assimilating new team members and for quickly assessing the impact of changes in the customer needs or in the available alternatives.