Methods
The AHP Case Study is a highly structured guide that teaches students about the engineering design process as it is used to solve the specific problems of a well defined, real world project. This section exists to guide the student through the formulation of the project itself, which provides the content of the case study. More specifically, this section will show exactly how the design process can be used to define a problem statement, objectives, and a design procedure, all of which are necessary to find a viable solution for any problem. Students will be given an example of how to formulate their own project components and measures of success by utilizing applicable regulations, common practices in modern engineering, and widely accepted scientific theory and law.
The Design Process
The design process is not intended to be a step-by-step rigid process. It is fluid, but it is organized, and each student needs to adapt the process to meet his or her own specific needs. For this case study, the design process was carefully selected to maximize flexibility so that students can easily make this adaptation.
No matter where you look, the design process will vary to some degree. However, you will not find any design process that does not contain all of these steps. When you are working on your own projects in the future, you can hopefully use what you learn from this case study as you apply the design process to that project.
Ask Questions
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What is the problem?
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What is the source of the problem?
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What is the context of the problem?
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Are there differing perspectives?
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What are some potential solutions?
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What are acceptable solutions?
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Use 'key words' for researching.
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Gather relevent documents.
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Build a 'Background' of knowledge.
What: The 'Ask' phase of the design process is about obtaining critical information to the project. This phase could have also been called 'Research' or 'Investigate'. At the conclusion of this phase, the student or engineer should have a thorough understanding of the situation they have been asked to solve. He or she may or may not have a clear direction at this point, but will have perspective.
Why: Perspective is critical for any sustainable solution. There are multiple views to consider including all of the following: the client, the ruling authority, the neighbor, the educator, the student, etc. We live in a world of multiple cultures, religions, and nationalities, all of which produce differing worldviews. Our goal is sustainability, and engineers must be capable of balancing a solution between a host of problems. It is not a solution unless every perspective has been considered and weighed into the solution itself.
How: For the AHP Case Study this was accomplished by research. This is where libraries and datahouses become invaluable sources of much needed knowledge. As a student in academia, this is most likely where you will turn to, but as an engineer at a firm, there may be preferred sources which you will be introduced to by bosses and coworkers. The keys here are to search, read, and search again, hence, the word 'research'. At the conclusion of your research, you should build a 'Background' of knowledge that is usually included as a section in your final design report.
Define Goals
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Define a problem statement.
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What are the client's needs?
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What are local regulations?
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What are the client's desires?
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What is being gained and lost?
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Define clear, measurable objectives.
What: The 'Define' phase is all about finding the purpose of the project. This could also be associated with direction or vision. The engineer is serving the client as an expert working for the best interest of the client, the public, and the environment. This phase is about balancing the 'Triple Bottom Line' or 'People, Planet, Prosperity'. None of these three should benefit at the unreasonable expense of the other.
Why: The final design will reflect the purpose of the project, but the path that you will take to get to that point will also be inherent from the purpose or the vision for the project. Purpose gives the engineer a direction to take for the solution.
How: The AHP Case Study is guided by a 'Problem Statement' and 'Objectives' that were written based on the needs of the client, Mr. Robert Hensarling, the park itself, and the City of Auburn. As you should know the park serves the agricultural communities in Alabama and at Auburn University, so it needs to fulfill those purposes while meeting measurable benchmarks.
Plan Solutions
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Plan tasks that satisfy objectives.
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How have others solved those tasks?
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Can I think of a new way?
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What skills do I have?
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What tools can I use?
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What is the most accurate method?
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Plan a design procedure to follow.
What: The next phase is a planning stage. This stage takes the direction that was provided in the last step and refines it into a plan of action. The idea is to take the experience or training that the student or engineer has had up to this point and apply it to choose the best method for solving the problem. Therefore, by definition your first design will probably be your worst design due to limited experience and training. For this reason, it is a good idea to learn from others before innovating without experience.
Why: A refined plan will bring confidence to the engineer or student. At the conclusion of this phase of the design process, one should feel confident that he or she can indeed find a solution to the problem or at least determine why there is not a good solution.
How: There are two features of the AHP Case Study that reflect the planning stage. These include 'Specific Tasks' which are listed under each objective, and 'Design Procedures', which are a page of their own. The tasks outline a general plan that show how each objective will be satisfied, while the design procedures are more specific and focus more on the inputs and outputs of the design process. Both of these are included for the student's convenience and have their own unique perspective to offer.
Execute Plans
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Execute design procedure.
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Are my assumptions correct?
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Am I applying methods correctly?
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Do the results make sense?
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Are the results repeatable?
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Maintain integrity.
What: The 'Execute' phase is the simplest of all the different stages of the design process. This phase is more commonly misunderstood than any other phase. This is wrongly called a design stage because the conclusion of this phase is a fully functioning design. However, that is not completely accurate because each stage before this one equally impacts the final design if not more! This phase is more about excellence than anything else.
Why: Once you get to this stage, you may be tempted to change your methods or your design procedure to something that is more simple or that gives better results. It is the responsibility of students and engineers to conduct themselves in a more honorable way. Most errors are introduced into design simply due to bad decisions. In this particular field there are many coefficients or estimations to be made, and it is each persons responsibility to make sure that decisions are made with integrity.
How: The last question for this phase is a practical way to avoid bad judgment. The results simply must be repeatable. If other engineers were working on this project and using the same methods, would they get similar results? You must be able to explain your reasoning for your methods and all design decisions, and your answers should be acceptable in engineering circles. The AHP Case Study was not a single person's work, and even in cases where you are working on a project alone, you should seek collaboration with coworkers and other engineers for the sake of integrity.
Improve Designs
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What is the economic value?
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What is the ecological value?
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What is the cultural value?
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What compromises can be made?
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Is the design sustainable?
What: The final phase of the design process called the 'Improve' phase. This phase is totally concerned with efficiency. At this point in the process there is a completed design, but it is not the best design, not yet at least. As the engineer, you now have to take the solution you have and determine where the most profitable, the most ecologically valuable, and the most socially valuable aspects of the design are located.
Why: Efficiency always leads to the most sustainable solution. As you may have noticed, we have now returned to the first 'why' of the design process. Sustainability is our ultimate goal as engineers; we are not looking for the most profitable, the most environmental, or the most socially valuable solution. Although each of those values are important, we want to achieve the most sustainable solution.
How: Sustainability looks at the needs of today and the needs of tomorrow, and it is not biased towards either one. Cost is important, but maintenance may be even more important. Do we influence culture or does culture influence us? These are the type of questions that need to be answered in this phase of design. Verify that the design is the one that is most needed, but make sure that you have the right perspective. Listening to experience can avoid design failures, but listening to innovation can change the world.