Product Development at System Level

From a Marketing point of view, products are means that can satisfy a need of a customer and thus generate a benefit. This benefit can be materialistic or unmate-rialistic, but also functional or non-functional. The core of the product will for example be a technical benefit and additional benefits are perceived by the customers themselves (this could be for example quality characteristics— how beautiful, impressive etc.). Furthermore, the user of a technical system will also face burdens, for example, a product needs energy or dissipates heat in order to fulfill its purpose. Therefore, it is impossible to only look hierarchically from the top to the bottom. We now have to deal with the characteristics of components, with which 

Basically, there is always a certain discussion regarding the border between architecture and design. There are advantages and disadvantages for one or the other opinion, but it is more difhcult for the product development if this isn t defined at all. This is why the following principles and analogies are used. 

This would in general be done within the component specification. Technical components consist of mechanical, electrical or software elements, whereas the combination and the selection, which elements belong to which component, represent a design decision. A component is therefore a subsystem of the system, which forms the differentiated characteristics from the interaction with other components. 

Electronic design is therefore the illustration of technical characteristic of electronic elements (components, electronic parts), of which an electronic system is comprised. The electronic design specifications describe characteristics, which result from the interaction of electronic elements. The electronic elements can consist of functional, logical or technical elements and have characteristics, which result from the interaction of these elements. These mechanical elements need to be specified as well. This would in general be done within the component specification. Electronic components consist of electronic elements (parts are the smallest elements for discreet electronic, for semiconductor sub-parts are defined as logical or functional units to sufficiently describe the behavior and the relevant characteristics), whereas the combination and the selection, which elements belong to the component, represent a design decision (Fig. 4.69). 

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