The surge-stagnate model for complex design

Industry is facing ever-increasing demands for more performance at less cost. Current emphasis is on improving the design process to yield designs, at least technically equivalent to the present, more quickly. The surge-stagnate model (SSM) is introduced to provide an analysis framework, describing the way in which progress in design occasionally plateaus before striding forward. It has been found that there are two methods of accelerating the design, both may be achieved by the use of 'understanding'. The existence of the SSM has been verified through observation of case studies, and the results of one such study of a large steam turbine design are presented.