Environmental Engineering Reference
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system. TG's include the all-important cross-functional and business level interaction
that ensures a new product development effort remains focused and relevant. Effec-
tive tollgate reviews cut across department and business unit boundaries and integrate
all skills and requirements throughout all phases of the WT development program.
The following example tollgate structure can be used for new product and
component technology programs:
TG1: Investigation and justifi cation of a business opportunity
TG2: Product options identifi ed and cross-functional buy-in secured
TG3: Conceptual design
TG4: Preliminary design
TG5: Detailed design
TG6: Factory test or validation + pre-series production
TG7: Validation or redesign + product introduction
TG8: Customer feedback, fi eld experience and resolution
Some notes on TGs:
1.
TGs 1
3 require an overall technical platform leader for a new turbine product
design that's not a part of the customer-facing engineering department; e.g.
advanced technology or conceptual design department separate from product
engineering. The hand-off to product engineering is upon completion of TG3.
This does not mean that product and component engineers are left out of
−
2.
the early TGs; on the contrary, their buy-in and contributions as part of the
consensus-based decision process is the key, but they do not lead or overwhelm
the early processes of value analysis and developing the business case for a
potential new turbine design.
Be fl exible when applying any TG process for specifi c turbine design programs.
3.
Do not be afraid to combine some TGs or opt for a best effort design through
to component and even full prototypes with a strategy to learn and provision
for a cycle of optimization prior to committing drawings to pre-series or serial
production.
Limit the stakeholders or fi nal decision makers to one key leader represent-
4.
ing each of the major departments; e.g. marketing, product line management,
engineering, sourcing, manufacturing and services.
A strong Chief Engineering Offi ce is the conscience of the technical com-
5.
munity and becomes increasingly important as the TGs progress through the
design phases [53].
Do not be afraid to partner with suppliers early under non-disclosure agreements
6.
(NDA) to leverage the best and the brightest early in the process.
The spirit and intent of the foregoing elements are in complete alignment with
7.
concurrent engineering (a.k.a. simultaneous engineering), an approach in which
all phases of the product development cycle operate at the same time. Product
and process are coordinated to achieve optimal matching of cost, quality and
delivery requirements. There are a large number of resources readily available
on this topic such as Curran
et al.
[ 16 ] and CERA [ 17 ].
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