Many engineers employ a structured engineering design process to offer solutions to meet the demands of customers. This process can help to give structure to a project and encourages innovative thinking. The objective raw data that is taken during the process may also aid in reducing bias and promote more accurate decision-making. The process of engineering also helps to teach that setbacks and failures can be valuable sources of data for future projects.
The first step in the engineering design process is problem definition. Engineers must know what their product is designed to do and the reasons why they need it. This is crucial for the rest of the engineering process.
After the issue has been defined it is important to get as much information regarding the solution as possible. This can be accomplished through research, asking critical questions and thinking about ideas. This is where engineering genius shines through and where most inventive ideas can be generated.
Engineers must identify potential solutions and weigh their pros and cons prior to selecting the best. The solution should also be able to meet the requirements of the project (e.g. Cost, materials, space, and time are all important factors.
After the most effective solution has been selected it is an ideal idea to create an initial prototype of the product or equipment. Then tests can be conducted to determine how well the product is able to do what it is supposed to do. It is possible to cut down the development time of the entire project by identifying flaws at an early stage. This can save money on fixing problems later.
