Computable and Mathematical Models for General Insight into Design and Development

Generally applicable insights into the design and development process can be gained by mathematical or computational analysis based on representative or synthetic cases in the tradition of hard operations research. This chapter discusses a selection of studies of this type, illustrating how they can provide insight into individual design activity, the management of process tasks, and contextual issues that surround the design and development process. The advantages and disadvantages of applying operations research methods to study the design and development process are also discussed.