Utilização da simulação de processos e gestão do design no desenvolvimento de produtos - estudo de caso : empresas gaúchas do setor moveleiro.

Abstract

In order to improve the quality of the products generated by small and medium companies, which predominate in the Gaúcho scenery of the furniture development and to allow a greater national and international competitive edge, it is crucial that new products are generated from the incorporation of design concepts. Moreover, based on design as the guiding for this project a research problem has occurred: which adjustments would be necessary to optimize the furniture development in small companies of the section? Thus, the general objective of this study aimed at investigating, through case study, the productive and management process of small and medium companies of the furniture section in Rio Grande do Sul, seeking for the improvement of products through the incorporation of design requirements in its initial phases of the process of product development, as well as the use of simulation processes for the optimization of the productive scenery. For this purpose the use of simulation software contributes to a better understanding of the process and served as the disclosure of this support tool, encouraging its use in academic and business environment. Initially, through the application of an online questionnaire was possible to establish a Product Development Process (PDP) panorama of two furniture organizations, referred to as Company A and Company B. The performance of the collaborators responsible by the conduction of the processes necessary to the conception and materialization of the final product was observed in order to understand how it is established. The perceptions and activities which reflect on the final product were determined, in the same way, which attitudes and procedures favor or not the obtainment of satisfying results were also determined, and that, based on design premises, it is possible to obtain a final product which results are expressed by all steps corresponding to its development process. An analysis of both productive sceneries was suggested, however, the processes mapping were only concluded in one of the companies, that is, Company A, where the simulation process has enabled the modeling of three sceneries for the fulfillment of simulation tests and analysis of several factors. Therefore, the computational simulation ally to industrial processes has shown itself a key element to optimization and visualization of production, which was used to offer possibilities of new configurations, presenting a productive scenery with quantitative improvement due to the increase of the pieces manufactured being almost the double of the current number.