A methodology for quantifying the effects of product development on cost and time

This paper demonstrates a methodology to quantify past product development efforts in an attempt to better utilize past experiences. The methodology is centered around conducting an observational study, using regression analysis, to expose relationships between various aspects of past product development efforts, including cost and time. The applicability of the methodology is demonstrated by presenting ‘generic’ results obtained by making use of information and historical data from a well-established electronics company. The results from applying the methodology support certain design for manufacturability guidelines and the statistical models lend themselves to possibly serving as historical records or prediction tools.