Pugh Controlled Convergence and Social Choice Theory
Year: 2019
Editor: Wartzack, Sandro; Schleich, Benjamin; Gon
Author: Nicholson, John Morgan; Collopy, Paul
Series: ICED
Institution: The University of Alabama in Huntsville
Section: Design management
DOI number: https://doi.org/10.1017/dsi.2019.130
ISSN: 2220-4342
Abstract
The Pugh Method of Controlled Convergence is evaluated based on social choice theory, both from an axiomatic basis, and by examining all possible cases of attribute ranks for a range of numbers of alternatives and numbers of attributes. The evaluation shows that, for a typical Pugh application, concept selection varies with the arbitrary choice of datum or is simply incorrect in about one-third of the cases. While there are merits to the iteration steps and creation of new alternatives within the Pugh method, a simpler and more expressive concept ranking procedure can give far superior results.
Keywords: Collaborative design, Design theory, Design methods, Systems Engineering (SE)