Systems Thinking in Tolerance and Quality-related Design Decision-making

This paper describes a new approach for using systems thinking in the context of design decisions that affect product quality. Such decisions include dimensional tolerances, material choice, and product geometry, which are shown to have links with product quality and performance, profitability, sustainability consequences, and resulting market and governance changes. These links are presented in a systems model that maps the drivers and consequences of these quality-related decisions, ultimately showing that design decisions influence future design decisions based on the sustainability-related outcomes of the resulting products. The systems model is then used in a design scenario of a mobile phone, where important information about the consequences of the product is gleaned by using the proposed model.