Commercialisation of P3: Signposting - design process modelling and simulation software

机构背景=剑桥工程设计中心(EDC)十多年来一直在研究设计过程的改进。我们与罗尔斯-罗伊斯、BAE系统和Perkins Engines等公司合作，这些公司有兴趣发展他们捕获、存储、监控、控制和模拟其开发过程以及交流和重复使用这些信息的能力。EDC的工作涵盖了与产品和服务相关的设计过程。该中心有69名工作人员和学生，他们从事8个相互关联的研究主题。更多细节可在该中心的网站www.edc.eng.cam.ac.uk上找到。科学背景=EDC是一个创新的制造研究中心(IMRC)，该中心一直(和正在)由EPSRC整体补助金提供部分资金。这些赠款为本申请所依据的工作提供了资金。商业机会=控制不善的设计过程可能会推迟产品的发布，从而影响商业成功。此外，许多行业因延迟交付或表现不佳的产品而受到重罚。这项建议指出了市场上与改进设计过程有关的机会。EDC已经开发了一款名为“P3：标志”的创新研究软件，用于管理和改进复杂产品的设计过程。软件体系结构使其能够被配置为表示几乎任何结构化的过程，因此比仅仅用于设计过程建模更广泛地适用。该项目将调查将研究软件及其交付到市场的商业产品。为了最大限度地利用电子设计委员会的知识库，使这项工作不会被过于稀释，这次的开发将针对制造业的设计职能，主要是航空航天和汽车行业。该项目将开发技术和服务，将技术推向市场。挑战=该项目认识到有必要解决潜在的未确定需求，以及目前用于管理设计过程的折衷产品主导的市场。这将是在两个方面，技术开发和市场活动。商业想法=我们的想法是围绕与设计过程改进相关的软件创建一项业务。这将围绕P3：路标软件展开，但不会局限于此，还可能涉及围绕该软件提供的服务。重新提交EP/F00902X/1(2007)=这一变化既是为了反映通话要求，也是为了反映我们在过去一年中了解到的情况，特别是这项技术需要比我们最初预期的更多的发展。

Institution Background=================The Cambridge Engineering Design Centre (EDC) has been researching design process improvement for over ten years. We work in collaboration with companies such as Rolls-Royce, BAE SYSTEMS and Perkins Engines who are interested in developing their ability to capture, store, monitor, control and simulate their development processes and to communicate and reuse this information. The EDC's work covers the design process related to both products and services. The centre has 69 staff and students that work across eight interlinked research themes. Further details can be found on the centre's website www-edc.eng.cam.ac.uk. Scientific Context=============The EDC is an Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (IMRC) which has been (and is) part funded by an EPSRC Block Grants. These grants have funded the work on which this application is based.Commercial Opportunity==================Poorly controlled design process can delay product launch and thereby impact on commercial success. In addition many industries are subject to hefty financial penalties for late delivery or under performing products. This proposal identifies an opportunity in the market related to improving the design process.Commercial Potential================An innovative piece of research software called 'P3:Signposting' for managing and improving design processes of complex products has been developed in the EDC. The software architecture enables it to be configured to represent almost any structured process and hence is much more widely applicable than for just design process modelling. This project will investigate turning the research software and its delivery to market into a commercial product. To make best use of the EDC's knowledge base and so that effort is not too diluted, the developments will in this instance be aimed at design functions in manufacturing industries, principally the aerospace and automotive sectors. The project will develop both the technology and services to deliver the technology to market. The Challenge===========The project has recognised the need to address a potential unidentified need and a market dominated by compromise products that are currently be used to manage the design process. This will be on two fronts, technology development an market activities.The Business Idea=============The idea is to create a business around the software related to design process improvement . This will focus around the P3:Signposting software but will not be limited to this and is also likely to involve services supplied around the software. Resubmission of EP/F00902X/1 (2007)===============================This project was first submitted in 2007.The balance of the project has changed from a marketing based project with some software development into a a technology development project supported by market research. This change is both to reflect the call requirements and what we have learned over the last year, in particular that the technology needs more development than we first anticipated.