ME-603-C Product Design - Nov 2023 Question Paper

Under each question, How to answer lists the points an answer should cover, outlined by CampusPrep from the syllabus. Check the details against your textbook.

1. 7 Marks
   aExplain the importance of Product development.
   How to answer

   • Define product development and its scope
   • Importance for competitiveness, growth and survival
   • Role in meeting customer needs and innovation
   • Economic and strategic benefits with examples
2. 7 Marks
   bDefine customer focus.
   How to answer

   • Definition of customer focus
   • Key principles: customer needs, satisfaction, orientation
   • Role in product design and development
   • Example of customer-focused approach
3. 7 Marks
   aDescribe the importance of product strategy.
   How to answer

   • Define product strategy
   • Link between business goals and product development
   • Importance for market positioning and resource allocation
   • Long-term competitiveness and risk reduction
4. 7 Marks
   bExplain briefly the elements involved in product strategy.
   How to answer

   • List elements: vision, objectives, target market, positioning
   • Product portfolio, differentiation, technology roadmap
   • Brief explanation of each element
   • Interrelationship of elements in strategy
5. 7 Marks
   aWrite briefly on characteristics of successful product development.
   How to answer

   • Define successful product development
   • Characteristics: customer focus, quality, time-to-market
   • Cross-functional team, innovation, cost-effectiveness
   • Continuous improvement and market fit
6. 7 Marks
   bWrite briefly on challenges in new product development.
   How to answer

   • Overview of new product development challenges
   • Market uncertainty, changing customer needs
   • Technological, cost and competition challenges
   • Organizational and risk management issues
7. 7 Marks
   aDescribe the input methods for obtaining information from customers.
   How to answer

   • Need for customer information inputs
   • Methods: interviews, surveys, focus groups, observation
   • Lead user method, benchmarking, complaints analysis
   • Merits of each method
8. 7 Marks
   bDiscuss the methodology used in new product development.
   How to answer

   • Stages of new product development methodology
   • Idea generation to screening, concept development
   • Design, testing, commercialization steps
   • Flow of methodology with feedback loops
9. 7 Marks
   aExplain the role of competitive benchmarking in planning.
   How to answer

   • Define competitive benchmarking
   • Role in goal setting and performance measurement
   • Identifying best practices and gaps in planning
   • Benefits for product improvement and strategy
10. 7 Marks
    bBriefly explain the organizational policies for product planning, process management and improvement of product.
    How to answer

    • Need for organizational policies in planning
    • Policies for product planning and process management
    • Continuous improvement and quality policies
    • Impact on efficiency and product success
11. 7 Marks
    aExplain the need for integration of customer, designer, material supplier and process planner.
    How to answer

    • Stakeholders in product development
    • Need for concurrent engineering and integration
    • Benefits: reduced lead time, cost, improved quality
    • Communication and collaboration aspects
12. 7 Marks
    bExplain the ways of involving customer in development of a new product.
    How to answer

    • Importance of customer involvement
    • Ways: surveys, co-design, lead users, beta testing
    • Focus groups, customer trials and feedback
    • Benefits for acceptance and satisfaction
13. 7 Marks
    aDescribe product life cycle.
    How to answer

    • Define product life cycle
    • Stages: introduction, growth, maturity, decline
    • Characteristics and sales-profit curves in each stage
    • Strategies for each stage
14. 7 Marks
    bWhat is product design process?
    How to answer

    • Define product design process
    • Steps from need identification to detailed design
    • Concept generation, selection, embodiment design
    • Prototyping and design evaluation
15. 7 Marks
    aHow will you identify the problem related to product manufacturing?
    How to answer

    • Sources of manufacturing problems: design, process, material
    • Identification tools: inspection, SPC, root cause analysis
    • Failure analysis, customer complaints, audits
    • Steps for corrective action
16. 7 Marks
    bWhat do you mean by DFM and DFX?
    How to answer

    • Full forms: DFM - Design for Manufacturing, DFX - Design for X
    • Objectives and principles of DFM
    • Concept of DFX: assembly, reliability, environment etc.
    • Benefits with examples