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Discussion Groups | Comp.Arch.Embedded | Design Tradeoffs

There are 6 messages in this thread.

You are currently looking at messages 0 to 6.

Design Tradeoffs - Paul Carpenter - 2009-10-23 12:20:00

Having spent several rounds of initial specifications with a potential
customer, that is less likely to be a viable project as they want to

        "Squeeze a gallon into a pint pot"

I could see that the prospect was actually trying to get all THREE
sides of the Quality Triangle often referred to as Tradeoff Triangle

             Good
             / \
            /   \
           /     \
          /       \
       Fast ---- Cheap

       "Pick any two"

I actually think these days it should become the

     "Tradeoff Square"

   Good ----------- Small
    |                 |
    |                 |
    |                 |
  Cheap ------------ Fast

     "Pick any THREE"

In the ever miniaturising world of keyboards too small for anyone
other than a mouse to use.

-- 
Paul Carpenter          | p...@pcserviceselectronics.co.uk
<http://www.pcserviceselectronics.co.uk/>;    PC Services
<http://www.pcserviceselectronics.co.uk/fonts/>; Timing Diagram Font
<http://www.gnuh8.org.uk/>;  GNU H8 - compiler & Renesas H8/H8S/H8 Tiny
<http://www.badweb.org.uk/>; For those web sites you hate



Re: Design Tradeoffs - Tim Wescott - 2009-10-23 23:56:00

On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:20:51 +0100, Paul Carpenter wrote:

> Having spent several rounds of initial specifications with a potential
> customer, that is less likely to be a viable project as they want to
> 
>         "Squeeze a gallon into a pint pot"
> 
> I could see that the prospect was actually trying to get all THREE sides
> of the Quality Triangle often referred to as Tradeoff Triangle
> 
>              Good
>              / \
>             /   \
>            /     \
>           /       \
>        Fast ---- Cheap
> 
>        "Pick any two"
> 
> I actually think these days it should become the
> 
>      "Tradeoff Square"
> 
>    Good ----------- Small
>     |                 |
>     |                 |
>     |                 |
>   Cheap ------------ Fast
> 
>      "Pick any THREE"
> 
> In the ever miniaturising world of keyboards too small for anyone other
> than a mouse to use.

Or you fold "small" into "good".

Sometimes you just have to say 'no' to a potential client, even if you're 
in dire straits -- if they can't see why they can't have all three sides 
of the product triangle, they probably can't understand the three sides 
of the project management triangle either, and will get bent out of shape 
when they find out that you actually want to get _paid_ for your work, 
heaven forbid.

-- 
www.wescottdesign.com

Re: Design Tradeoffs - Paul Carpenter - 2009-10-24 04:21:00

In article <c...@web-ster.com>, 
t...@seemywebsite.com says...
> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:20:51 +0100, Paul Carpenter wrote:
> 
> > Having spent several rounds of initial specifications with a potential
> > customer, that is less likely to be a viable project as they want to
> > 
> >         "Squeeze a gallon into a pint pot"
> > 
> > I could see that the prospect was actually trying to get all THREE sides
> > of the Quality Triangle often referred to as Tradeoff Triangle
> > 
> >              Good
> >              / \
> >             /   \
> >            /     \
> >           /       \
> >        Fast ---- Cheap
> > 
> >        "Pick any two"
> > 
> > I actually think these days it should become the
> > 
> >      "Tradeoff Square"
> > 
> >    Good ----------- Small
> >     |                 |
> >     |                 |
> >     |                 |
> >   Cheap ------------ Fast
> > 
> >      "Pick any THREE"
> > 
> > In the ever miniaturising world of keyboards too small for anyone other
> > than a mouse to use.
> 
> Or you fold "small" into "good".

Often good means performs the perfect job, but it must the size of a 
postage stamp, cost less than $1..

An often seen example is often expecting to get broadcast audio and video 
quality out of a camera smaller than a webcam, at full HD frame rates,
with half hour full quality storage in MPEG-4 in real time, on postage 
stamp size PCB and costs $1.
 
> Sometimes you just have to say 'no' to a potential client, even if you're 
> in dire straits -- if they can't see why they can't have all three sides 
> of the product triangle, they probably can't understand the three sides 
> of the project management triangle either, and will get bent out of shape 
> when they find out that you actually want to get _paid_ for your work, 
> heaven forbid.

That is what I am doing too often saying 'no', and in one case 
definitely does not understand the triangle/square.


-- 
Paul Carpenter          | p...@pcserviceselectronics.co.uk
<http://www.pcserviceselectronics.co.uk/>;    PC Services
<http://www.pcserviceselectronics.co.uk/fonts/>; Timing Diagram Font
<http://www.gnuh8.org.uk/>;  GNU H8 - compiler & Renesas H8/H8S/H8 Tiny
<http://www.badweb.org.uk/>; For those web sites you hate

Re: Design Tradeoffs - Joe G (Home) - 2009-10-24 11:13:00

<snip>

I see projects having 4 factors and a variation in one factor effects the 
other 3.

QUALITY
COST
TIME
EXPERINCE

If you want a cheaper product then you can reduce the quality / 
specification.

AND  another major problem is the client's have done they business plan 
homework for the product.

Joe

Re: Design Tradeoffs - Paul Carpenter - 2009-10-24 12:10:00

In article <4ae3198b$0$5424$a...@news.optusnet.com.au>, 
j...@optusnet.com.au says...
> <snip>
> 
> I see projects having 4 factors and a variation in one factor effects the 
> other 3.
> 
> QUALITY
> COST
> TIME
> EXPERINCE
> 
> If you want a cheaper product then you can reduce the quality / 
> specification.
> 
> AND  another major problem is the client's have done they business plan 
> homework for the product.

I sense a bit of cynism about their 'homework' there..

-- 
Paul Carpenter          | p...@pcserviceselectronics.co.uk
<http://www.pcserviceselectronics.co.uk/>;    PC Services
<http://www.pcserviceselectronics.co.uk/fonts/>; Timing Diagram Font
<http://www.gnuh8.org.uk/>;  GNU H8 - compiler & Renesas H8/H8S/H8 Tiny
<http://www.badweb.org.uk/>; For those web sites you hate

Re: Design Tradeoffs - Joe G (Home) - 2009-10-24 22:45:00

"Paul Carpenter" <p...@pcserviceselectronics.co.uk> wrote in message 
news:MPG.254d373cb4f16dd7989732@172.16.0.1...
> In article <4ae3198b$0$5424$a...@news.optusnet.com.au>,
> j...@optusnet.com.au says...
>> <snip>
>>
>> I see projects having 4 factors and a variation in one factor effects the
>> other 3.
>>
>> QUALITY
>> COST
>> TIME
>> EXPERINCE
>>
>> If you want a cheaper product then you can reduce the quality /
>> specification.
>>
>> AND  another major problem is the client's have done they business plan
>> homework for the product.
>
> I sense a bit of cynism about their 'homework' there..
>

Sorry  - I meant  "haven;t" done their home work.


I had some asked me to build an RF product....  but with out understanding 
what was required and how much work was involved...  more than just the 
electronics..... tooling for plastics, hardware and
mechatonics...   Geez..


Joe