The use of experimental design in the development of new products

Experimental design methods are tools for conducting informative, time‐ and cost‐effective experiments. Used during product development, these methods can contribute to building quality into products as well as shortening the development cycle time. These techniques make it possible to study the effect of many factors (parameters) simultaneously, to select the factor combination that results in both improved quality and reduced cost, and hence allow for the development of reliable and robust products of high quality. In addition, these methods provide a systematic approach for problem solving during the product development process. This article provides a non‐technical discussion of the role of experimentation and the advantage of using experimental design during product development. Different experimental design methods and examples of their application during product development will also be presented.