In the early Seventies, studies in the United Kingdom and in the United States highlight
the strategic role of the design activities. The conclusions lead both companies and authorities
towards new approaches in order to improve the economic performances of companies. At the
end of the Eighties, the paramount role of the quality in the design was reinforced in the
United States by the Made-in-America report from the MIT “Commission on the
Productivity”. The Improving Engineering Design confirmed these conclusions in 1991:
Designing for Competitive Advantage report, from the United State Nation Research Council
“Engineering Design Theory and Methodology”. As resumed by Perrin [1], the design phase
is the key factor of the product development process. The ability to product new products with
a high quality, a low cost and witch fit with the customer requests is fundamental to improve
the nation competitiveness. Consequently, the costs (and cost management from the early
design to the end delivery) become as important as the other technical requests.