Parallel and sequential testing of design alternatives

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Loch, CH; Terwiesch, C; Thomke, S
• 署名单位: INSEAD Business School; University of Pennsylvania; Harvard University
• 刊物名称: MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0025-1909
• DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.47.5.663.10480
• 发表日期: 2001
• 页码: 663-678
• 关键词: testing; prototyping; learning; optimal search; modularity

摘要

An important managerial problem in product design in the,extent to which testing activities are carried out in parallel or in series. Parallel testing has the advantage of proceeding more rapidly than serial testing but does not take advantage of the potential for learning between tests, thus resulting in a larger number of tests. We model this trade-off in the form of a dynamic program and derive the optimal testing strategy (or mix of parallel and serial testing) that minimizes both the to;al cost and time of testing. We derive the optimal testing strategy as a function of testing cost, prior knowledge, and testing lead time. Using information theory to measure the test efficiency, we further show that in the case of imperfect testing (due to noise or simulated test conditions), the attractiveness of parallel strategies decreases. Finally, we analyze the relationship between testing strategies and the structure of design hierarchy. We show that a key benefit of modular product architecture lies in the reduction of testing cost.