Integrated Decision Model Prioritizes Quality, Environment, and Price for Product Selection

Why It Matters

In an era of increasing environmental awareness and complex product offerings, designers and engineers need robust methods to balance competing product attributes. This approach provides a framework for evaluating products holistically, ensuring that design decisions align with user needs, market demands, and sustainability goals.

Key Finding

A new decision-making model successfully combines product quality, environmental impact, and cost to help people choose the best product for their needs, and also aids companies in product improvement.

Key Findings

• A method was developed to integrate qualitative, environmental, and price criteria for product selection.
• The method allows for ranking products based on individual customer expectations and expert knowledge.
• The model visualizes the relationship between qualitative and environmental aspects of products.

Research Evidence

Aim: To develop and test a method that supports customers in selecting products by simultaneously considering qualitative, environmental, and price criteria.

Method: Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model development and testing.

Procedure: The study involved integrating techniques such as brainstorming, SMARTER method, rule 7 ± 2, Likert scale questionnaires, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), PROMETHEE II, and matrix data analysis. The developed method was tested using solar collectors as a case study.

Context: Product selection and development, particularly for sustainable and renewable energy products.

Design Principle

Holistic Product Evaluation: Design decisions should be informed by a comprehensive assessment of product attributes, including user experience, environmental footprint, and economic viability.

How to Apply

When developing new products or evaluating existing ones, create a decision matrix that includes key quality metrics, quantifiable environmental impact indicators (e.g., carbon footprint, energy efficiency), and cost factors. Use a structured method like AHP or PROMETHEE II to assign weights and rank options.

Limitations

The effectiveness of the model may depend on the quality of expert input and the clarity of customer requirements. The specific weighting of criteria might vary significantly across different product categories and user groups.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: This research shows a way to pick products by looking at how good they are, how they affect the planet, and how much they cost, all at the same time.

Why This Matters: Understanding how to balance different product requirements is crucial for creating successful and responsible designs.

Critical Thinking: How might the weighting of 'environmental impact' versus 'price' change depending on the target market or the specific product category?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The research by Ulewicz et al. (2023) highlights the importance of a multi-criteria approach to product selection, integrating quality, environmental impact, and price. This methodology can inform design decisions by providing a structured framework for evaluating trade-offs and prioritizing solutions that meet diverse user and market needs.

Project Tips

• When choosing a product for your design project, think about more than just its main function. Consider its environmental impact and cost.
• Use a scoring system to compare different design options based on multiple criteria.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study when justifying your design choices, especially if you considered environmental impact and cost alongside functionality and aesthetics.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how to evaluate design solutions using multiple criteria, not just one.

Independent Variable: Qualitative criteria, environmental criteria, price.

Dependent Variable: Product selection ranking, customer satisfaction.

Controlled Variables: Product category (e.g., solar collectors), expert knowledge, customer needs.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple decision-making factors.
• Provides a structured and quantitative approach.
• Applicable to both consumers and enterprises.

Critical Questions

• What are the potential biases in assigning weights to different criteria?
• How can the 'qualitative' aspects of a product be objectively measured for inclusion in such a model?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the application of this model to a specific product category, investigating how different user groups prioritize these criteria and how this impacts design recommendations.

Source

A New Model of Pro-Quality Decision Making in Terms of Products’ Improvement Considering Customer Requirements · Energies · 2023 · 10.3390/en16114378