The ValXplore Method: Exploring Desirability, Feasibility and Viability of Business and System Design Under Uncertainty

Abstract

In early design stages, business developers and systems engineers deal with uncertainties on the business problem, in line with the company's strategy. Before designing the system, the business developers need to set the boundaries of the business problem: What are the values to deliver to which stakeholders? What are their preferences? What are the future trends or the evolution of the markets and the external context? These questions regarding the uncertainties on the definition of the problem may not have answers and need to be investigated to assess the value robustness of the possible design alternatives. The aim of this work is to support decision-making in business and system design thanks to a broad and rapid analysis of a large amount of business design alternatives under uncertainty. We introduce a decision-making support method, called ValXplore, based on visual analysis and data analytics to explore the uncertainties on and in the business problem. The method was tested and validated on an industrial case study to assess the benefits and limits of the semi-reusability of a launch vehicle. Both business developers and systems engineers can rapidly explore a broad space of alternatives to increase the value to the stakeholders, by performing sensitivity and uncertainty analyses.