Function deployment model for continuous and discontinuous innovation product development

This paper proposes the use of a Function Deployment Model (FDM) for continuous and discontinuous innovation product development. To demonstrate its usefulness in a real situation, the model was applied to the design problem of a multi-function sampling instrument used in the ESA (European Space Agency) Beagle2 Mars Express mission. The proposed model is based on Quality Function Deployment (QFD) techniques for translating customer needs to engineering characteristics. An Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to prioritize customer requirements while a Linear Programming (LP) optimization method is used to determine the feasible solution of the design variables within limited resources. An application of the new model is made on a real life example to show the proposed model's ability and its applicability to other disciplines.