Hierarchical decompositions for complex product representation

In many published design texts and standards, it is often advocated that hierarchical descriptions should be structured into successive levels of systems, assemblies, components and so. However, there is no one single hierarchy in a complex product. In practice, sub-units within a hierarchy are defined purely in an arbitrary manner. The lack of a structured approach to product decomposition leaves a chance of creating hierarchical decompositions with limited practical use. As a way of creating meaningful hierarchical product descriptions consistently, this paper suggests precautionary steps to aid the product decomposition process. These guidelines are based on insights gained from an assessment on decomposability of a motorcycle.