Web-enabled collaborative design process management: application to multichip module design

The design of complex systems is a complex process that requires multiple tradeoffs and design iterations. It involves multiple core competencies that seldom reside in a single organization or geographical site. It typically requires multiple design tools that come from different vendors. Design process management in such an environment is key to infusing discipline as well as reducing design cycle time. This paper presents an innovative CORBA-compliant, Web-based, adaptive design process management approach and software tool that is based on dynamically constructed flows. At the heart of this system is an object-oriented ontology of the design process that captures and inter-relates all key objects that are required to manage and improve the design process. A key aspect of the design process manager is its multi-perspective visualization capability that allows both managers and designers to view the design process from their respective perspectives. This paper presents design process management for the multichip module (MCM) design problem. The approach applies to managing the design of any complex system.