A fuzzy logic-based approach to idea screening for product design

The idea screening of a new product concept is perhaps the most critical activity in new product development (NPD). This paper presents a fuzzy synthetic evaluation method (FSEM) for selecting an optimum design alternatives based on fuzzy set theory. The process involves constructing a hierarchical objective, setting evaluation criteria, establishing a fuzzy judgment matrix and weight vector, and then ranking the order of design alternatives by a fuzzy number in the fuzzy sequencing vector. A hierarchical structure is used to calculate the fuzzy probability level by level from the lowest-level objectives. The evaluation objectives are arranged in the hierarchical structure with several levels. The relative contribution of each objective to the overall value of the solution and the rating or degree of approximation of a solution with respect to a given objective are quantified with the membership functions of a fuzzy set. After the fuzzy expected values of the top-level objectives are calculated, they are then used to make a decision quantitatively on selecting the optimal design alternative. The proposed approach can efficiently aid managers in dealing with both ambiguity and complexity in product screening decisions. To verify the feasibility of this approach, a case study is conducted with a product design of Power Line Communication (PLC) in this study.