Professor Ben Hicks | University of Bristol (original) (raw)
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Papers by Professor Ben Hicks
DESIGN 2014: International Design Conference. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Engineering projects are highly complex, involving many project actors as they produce thousands ... more Engineering projects are highly complex, involving many project actors as they produce thousands of files, emails and prototypes. The premise of this work is that in these complex project ecosystems there is a high amount of implied information, particularly in the digital files produced by each actor, which has potential to be automatically extracted and used to improve process or output. This work presents a framework by which files can be categorised and analysed, thereby generating useful project information directly from the actions of project actors; and gives two real-data examples.
Design Studies, 2006
The majority of engineers maintain a logbook, or some form of personal notes. Many of these logbo... more The majority of engineers maintain a logbook, or some form of personal notes. Many of these logbooks contain a significant amount of design information and knowledge which is not formally reported. Despite this, logbooks are rarely formally managed, with the content only available to the authoring engineer. It is arguable that such potentially valuable information should be available to the
Packaging Technology and Science, 2001
To enable packaging machinery manufacturers to compete at an international level, it is necessary... more To enable packaging machinery manufacturers to compete at an international level, it is necessary to introduce them to more advanced design methods and technologies. For years, the evolution of packaging machinery has relied heavily on trial-and-error methods. The demands for continual increases in the performance capabilities of the machines, escalating legislation, environmental directives and changes in the characteristics of the product require rapid development of existing machine designs and the creation of new machines. This paper discusses the needs of SME packaging machinery manufacturers and identi®es their requirements for methods in support of the design and redesign of packaging machinery. The need to identify, capture and manipulate design knowledge is critical for SMEs, where all too often design records are incomplete. Furthermore, a systems modelling approach that provides for support over the conceptual, embodiment and detailed design phases is essential for the rapid and effective development of designs. In order to meet these requirements, a methodology is proposed which incorporates`constraint modelling' techniques. The methodology provides for experimental investigation and computer-based modelling, which together aid the designer in gaining a fundamental understanding of the design problem. This enables the identi®cation and representation of design knowledge, the determination of the limitations of an existing design, the evaluation of alternative designs and redesign strategies, as well as the embodiment, re®nement and optimization of design solutions. The theory of constraint modelling' is discussed and the various phases of the methodology described. The applications of the methodology to a new machine design and a redesign program are also detailed.
International Journal of Information Management, 2002
Data, information and knowledge are very important commodities for organisations. The effective u... more Data, information and knowledge are very important commodities for organisations. The effective utilisation of these 'commodities' is increasingly the only way for organisations to achieve and sustain competitive advantage. In the field of mechanical engineering there are vast numbers of information and knowledge sources that are utilised throughout the design of an artefact or system. These may include documentation, component catalogues, past designs, new technologies, complex methodologies as well as a whole range of informal and formal sources developed through discussions and meetings. The effective utilisation and application of these information and knowledge commodities help enable the generation of feasible design alternatives and assist the decision-making process, which ultimately determines the success of the designed artefact. This paper discusses data, information and knowledge, providing formal definitions and an understanding of the relations and limitations of these resources. This understanding enables the development of better mechanisms and procedures for the capture and reuse of information and knowledge in engineering design. In particular, the approach of this work is to consider the intended reuse and level of application for knowledge in order to determine the requirements for its acquisition. Using this approach, an overall framework for the requirements of capturing, storing and reusing information and knowledge in engineering design is generated. r
International Journal of Information Management, 2006
The use of information and consequently the development of more effective strategies for its mana... more The use of information and consequently the development of more effective strategies for its management are widely accepted as being important issues for any organisation. This is particularly the case for engineering SMEs in the Advanced Engineering sector where systematic knowledge resources are critical for achieving and sustaining competitive advantage. However, relatively little empirical work has been undertaken which seeks to explore and understand the barriers to improving information management for this class of organisation. To address this, an in-depth study of issues within 10 engineering SMEs has been undertaken. This paper presents an overview of the research method and describes the process of eliciting and filtering the issues. Using the filtered results a set of core issues is developed that characterises the range of issues currently facing engineering SMEs. An indication of the relative significance of these core issues is obtained by reclassifying the initial empirical data against the core set of issues. It is further argued that in practise many of these core issues are related to one another. To explore these relationships, the dependencies and causalities between core issues are explored. This reveals a set of fundamental issues which may be considered to represent the key barriers to improving information management within engineering SMEs. These barriers and their implications for improving information management are discussed with respect to the information flow in engineering SMEs and a number of important considerations are highlighted. The findings of this study and the understanding gained are critical for improving information management and the development and long-term planning of the information systems strategy. r
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 2000
E-mails are, rightly or wrongly, a staple of the information and communication technology for man... more E-mails are, rightly or wrongly, a staple of the information and communication technology for managing work and collaborative activities. This paper examines the value of the content of e-mail at a project level rather than at the often-studied level of the individual user. The data set consists of emails authored by an engineering team associated with a large, complex, long term, systems integration project, typical of the aerospace, marine and defence sectors. The research applied a qualitative content analysis methodology to classify the content (what the e-mail contains) and purpose (why the e-mail was sent) of the e-mail in the data set. The results of the content analysis were compared and contrasted with secondary evidence from interviews and project documentation to enable a time-phased analysis. The findings show that classifying e-mail content by the categories of management, information and problem-solving transactions revealed signatures that align with project phases and, more importantly, problems encountered. Finally, we found that the purpose of e-mail is not necessarily consistent with the designated job role or responsibility of the sender or recipient. This paper contributes to empirical data on the relation between communication and project performance and the changing nature of e-mail communication throughout the lifecycle of a project. The findings point to a new way to leverage e-mail content to 'manage by e-mail'.
Computer-Aided Design, 2002
The efficient, economical and often elegant transformation from a design schema to an embodied de... more The efficient, economical and often elegant transformation from a design schema to an embodied design solution containing real components is essential for the commercial success of a product. More often the ability of the designer to explore an optimum solution is severely frustrated by the analytically intensive and time-consuming aspects of embodying a concept. This paper presents a computer based
Proceedings of the Design, 2008
Central to improving and sustaining high levels of innovative design is the fundamental requireme... more Central to improving and sustaining high levels of innovative design is the fundamental requirement to maximise and effectively manage design performance. Within the context of 21st century designwhere the process is largely digital, knowledge-driven and highly distributed-this involves the creation of tailored design processes, the use of best-performing tool sets, technology mixes and complementary team structures. In order to investigate these aspects, there is a need to evaluate the practices and needs of industry; advance ...
ACM Transactions on Information Systems, 2008
Page 1. 23 Organizing and Managing Personal Electronic Files: A Mechanical Engineer&a... more Page 1. 23 Organizing and Managing Personal Electronic Files: A Mechanical Engineer's Perspective BJ HICKS University of Bath A. DONG University of Sydney and R. PALMER and HC MCALPINE University of Bath This article ...
This paper presents a topic-based analysis of email subject line data from a large-scale engineer... more This paper presents a topic-based analysis of email subject line data from a large-scale engineering project and explores its utility for supporting the management of collaborative work. The main contributions of the paper are a novel interpretation of the co-word network analysis method for application within an engineering project management context, and the appraisal of the method for finding patterns within subject line data. Our findings suggest that the approach has the potential to contribute to monitoring work complexity, tracking progress, recognizing synergy and divergence, detecting scope creep, and supporting knowledge capture.
DESIGN 2014: International Design Conference. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Engineering projects are highly complex, involving many project actors as they produce thousands ... more Engineering projects are highly complex, involving many project actors as they produce thousands of files, emails and prototypes. The premise of this work is that in these complex project ecosystems there is a high amount of implied information, particularly in the digital files produced by each actor, which has potential to be automatically extracted and used to improve process or output. This work presents a framework by which files can be categorised and analysed, thereby generating useful project information directly from the actions of project actors; and gives two real-data examples.
Design Studies, 2006
The majority of engineers maintain a logbook, or some form of personal notes. Many of these logbo... more The majority of engineers maintain a logbook, or some form of personal notes. Many of these logbooks contain a significant amount of design information and knowledge which is not formally reported. Despite this, logbooks are rarely formally managed, with the content only available to the authoring engineer. It is arguable that such potentially valuable information should be available to the
Packaging Technology and Science, 2001
To enable packaging machinery manufacturers to compete at an international level, it is necessary... more To enable packaging machinery manufacturers to compete at an international level, it is necessary to introduce them to more advanced design methods and technologies. For years, the evolution of packaging machinery has relied heavily on trial-and-error methods. The demands for continual increases in the performance capabilities of the machines, escalating legislation, environmental directives and changes in the characteristics of the product require rapid development of existing machine designs and the creation of new machines. This paper discusses the needs of SME packaging machinery manufacturers and identi®es their requirements for methods in support of the design and redesign of packaging machinery. The need to identify, capture and manipulate design knowledge is critical for SMEs, where all too often design records are incomplete. Furthermore, a systems modelling approach that provides for support over the conceptual, embodiment and detailed design phases is essential for the rapid and effective development of designs. In order to meet these requirements, a methodology is proposed which incorporates`constraint modelling' techniques. The methodology provides for experimental investigation and computer-based modelling, which together aid the designer in gaining a fundamental understanding of the design problem. This enables the identi®cation and representation of design knowledge, the determination of the limitations of an existing design, the evaluation of alternative designs and redesign strategies, as well as the embodiment, re®nement and optimization of design solutions. The theory of constraint modelling' is discussed and the various phases of the methodology described. The applications of the methodology to a new machine design and a redesign program are also detailed.
International Journal of Information Management, 2002
Data, information and knowledge are very important commodities for organisations. The effective u... more Data, information and knowledge are very important commodities for organisations. The effective utilisation of these 'commodities' is increasingly the only way for organisations to achieve and sustain competitive advantage. In the field of mechanical engineering there are vast numbers of information and knowledge sources that are utilised throughout the design of an artefact or system. These may include documentation, component catalogues, past designs, new technologies, complex methodologies as well as a whole range of informal and formal sources developed through discussions and meetings. The effective utilisation and application of these information and knowledge commodities help enable the generation of feasible design alternatives and assist the decision-making process, which ultimately determines the success of the designed artefact. This paper discusses data, information and knowledge, providing formal definitions and an understanding of the relations and limitations of these resources. This understanding enables the development of better mechanisms and procedures for the capture and reuse of information and knowledge in engineering design. In particular, the approach of this work is to consider the intended reuse and level of application for knowledge in order to determine the requirements for its acquisition. Using this approach, an overall framework for the requirements of capturing, storing and reusing information and knowledge in engineering design is generated. r
International Journal of Information Management, 2006
The use of information and consequently the development of more effective strategies for its mana... more The use of information and consequently the development of more effective strategies for its management are widely accepted as being important issues for any organisation. This is particularly the case for engineering SMEs in the Advanced Engineering sector where systematic knowledge resources are critical for achieving and sustaining competitive advantage. However, relatively little empirical work has been undertaken which seeks to explore and understand the barriers to improving information management for this class of organisation. To address this, an in-depth study of issues within 10 engineering SMEs has been undertaken. This paper presents an overview of the research method and describes the process of eliciting and filtering the issues. Using the filtered results a set of core issues is developed that characterises the range of issues currently facing engineering SMEs. An indication of the relative significance of these core issues is obtained by reclassifying the initial empirical data against the core set of issues. It is further argued that in practise many of these core issues are related to one another. To explore these relationships, the dependencies and causalities between core issues are explored. This reveals a set of fundamental issues which may be considered to represent the key barriers to improving information management within engineering SMEs. These barriers and their implications for improving information management are discussed with respect to the information flow in engineering SMEs and a number of important considerations are highlighted. The findings of this study and the understanding gained are critical for improving information management and the development and long-term planning of the information systems strategy. r
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 2000
E-mails are, rightly or wrongly, a staple of the information and communication technology for man... more E-mails are, rightly or wrongly, a staple of the information and communication technology for managing work and collaborative activities. This paper examines the value of the content of e-mail at a project level rather than at the often-studied level of the individual user. The data set consists of emails authored by an engineering team associated with a large, complex, long term, systems integration project, typical of the aerospace, marine and defence sectors. The research applied a qualitative content analysis methodology to classify the content (what the e-mail contains) and purpose (why the e-mail was sent) of the e-mail in the data set. The results of the content analysis were compared and contrasted with secondary evidence from interviews and project documentation to enable a time-phased analysis. The findings show that classifying e-mail content by the categories of management, information and problem-solving transactions revealed signatures that align with project phases and, more importantly, problems encountered. Finally, we found that the purpose of e-mail is not necessarily consistent with the designated job role or responsibility of the sender or recipient. This paper contributes to empirical data on the relation between communication and project performance and the changing nature of e-mail communication throughout the lifecycle of a project. The findings point to a new way to leverage e-mail content to 'manage by e-mail'.
Computer-Aided Design, 2002
The efficient, economical and often elegant transformation from a design schema to an embodied de... more The efficient, economical and often elegant transformation from a design schema to an embodied design solution containing real components is essential for the commercial success of a product. More often the ability of the designer to explore an optimum solution is severely frustrated by the analytically intensive and time-consuming aspects of embodying a concept. This paper presents a computer based
Proceedings of the Design, 2008
Central to improving and sustaining high levels of innovative design is the fundamental requireme... more Central to improving and sustaining high levels of innovative design is the fundamental requirement to maximise and effectively manage design performance. Within the context of 21st century designwhere the process is largely digital, knowledge-driven and highly distributed-this involves the creation of tailored design processes, the use of best-performing tool sets, technology mixes and complementary team structures. In order to investigate these aspects, there is a need to evaluate the practices and needs of industry; advance ...
ACM Transactions on Information Systems, 2008
Page 1. 23 Organizing and Managing Personal Electronic Files: A Mechanical Engineer&a... more Page 1. 23 Organizing and Managing Personal Electronic Files: A Mechanical Engineer's Perspective BJ HICKS University of Bath A. DONG University of Sydney and R. PALMER and HC MCALPINE University of Bath This article ...
This paper presents a topic-based analysis of email subject line data from a large-scale engineer... more This paper presents a topic-based analysis of email subject line data from a large-scale engineering project and explores its utility for supporting the management of collaborative work. The main contributions of the paper are a novel interpretation of the co-word network analysis method for application within an engineering project management context, and the appraisal of the method for finding patterns within subject line data. Our findings suggest that the approach has the potential to contribute to monitoring work complexity, tracking progress, recognizing synergy and divergence, detecting scope creep, and supporting knowledge capture.