Approaches for Modelling and Improving Design and Development Processes

Modelling the specific details of design and development processes helps to generate insights for their planning, execution and improvement. A wide range of modelling approaches have been developed to support these activities, focusing on different aspects of the design and development process and with different purposes in mind. Some, described in this chapter as micro-level, focus on modelling the knowledge and rationale underpinning individual tasks. Others, on the meso-level, focus on modelling flows of activity. A third group, on the macro level, focus on modelling design and development processes in their contexts. This chapter provides an organised overview of these three categories of approach, discussing some that are practical and others that are mainly research-oriented. The chapter also provides commentary on the advantages and limitations of selected approaches.