Hello everyone,
In the topic this week we spent a lot of time learning about the DSD document, a very important document in the DHF. However, in my company, we do not fill out a DSD. Instead, we fill out a DIOVV (Design Inputs, Outputs, Verification, Validation), which is our version of a DSD. The DIOVV is an Excel spreadsheet, with columns that list out user needs, and corresponding design inputs, outputs, acceptance criteria for verification and validation, and then verification and validation columns, which can include test protocols/reports. Overall I think it includes all the information that a DSD would include.
For those of you who work in industry, does your company use a DSD, or a different document that is similar to a DSD? If you use a different document, can you provide a brief description and comparison to the DSD we learned about?
The company the I work for uses a similar document that you stated. Using an excel spreadsheet with necessary columns to fulfill. I believe the method or specific document used can be irrelevant if the company uses their own efficient method of fulfilling DSD-like characteristics. I personly like the structure of the DSD document rather than the Excel-based that my company uses; however, the flow works best in terms of manufacturing is my guess for my company's reason for use.
The company I work for does utilize a Design Specification document as Dr. Simon had described in this week’s lecture. It includes a design matrix that traces the entire process of the design. It is a living documents therefore it can be updated as time progresses. Within each line of the DID there is at lease one line within the DSD. Each DSD line gets a verification, if a verification is not needed then a rationale is needed to justify it. It also includes the risk management documents to reference ways to mitigate the risk. For an undergraduate course offered by NJIT I had to type up a DSD with my team for a senior design project. The document had to be detailed but had to be understood by someone who never heard about my team’s project. It took many revisions to be considered an adequate document.
My company doesn’t fill out a DSD. However, we do maintain a traceability matrix that shows all of the verification and validation activities completed for each design input. I think the level of up front detail that is presented with a DSD is very helpful to document necessary information required to effectively define product design and give the development team guidance on the product to be developed. Instead of matrices to track the entire process of design, we maintain process flow diagrams, risks, and design inputs separately.
