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Interdisciplinary Product Development


Module name (EN):
Name of module in study programme. It should be precise and clear.
Interdisciplinary Product Development
Degree programme:
Study Programme with validity of corresponding study regulations containing this module.
Mechanical Engineering, Master, regulation 01.10.2024
Module code: DFMME-1b1
SAP-Submodule-No.:
The exam administration creates a SAP-Submodule-No for every exam type in every module. The SAP-Submodule-No is equal for the same module in different study programs.
P610-0447
Hours per semester week / Teaching method:
The count of hours per week is a combination of lecture (V for German Vorlesung), exercise (U for Übung), practice (P) oder project (PA). For example a course of the form 2V+2U has 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of exercise per week.
4V+1S (5 hours per week)
ECTS credits:
European Credit Transfer System. Points for successful completion of a course. Each ECTS point represents a workload of 30 hours.
10
Semester: 1
Mandatory course: yes
Language of instruction:
German
Assessment:
P241-0057 50% written exam (90 min.)
P241-0058 50% Project work (incl. documentation and final presentation)

[updated 24.09.2026]
Applicability / Curricular relevance:
All study programs (with year of the version of study regulations) containing the course.

DFMME-1b1 (P610-0447) Mechanical Engineering, Master, regulation 01.10.2024 , semester 1, mandatory course, Specialization Product Development
MAM_19_PE_1.04.IPE (P241-0057, P241-0058) Engineering and Management, Master, regulation 01.10.2019 , semester 1, mandatory course, Specialization Product Development
MAM_24_PE_1.04.IPE Engineering and Management, Master, regulation 01.10.2024 , semester 1, mandatory course, Specialization Product Development
Workload:
Workload of student for successfully completing the course. Each ECTS credit represents 30 working hours. These are the combined effort of face-to-face time, post-processing the subject of the lecture, exercises and preparation for the exam.

The total workload is distributed on the semester (01.04.-30.09. during the summer term, 01.10.-31.03. during the winter term).
75 class hours (= 56.25 clock hours) over a 15-week period.
The total student study time is 300 hours (equivalent to 10 ECTS credits).
There are therefore 243.75 hours available for class preparation and follow-up work and exam preparation.
Recommended prerequisites (modules):
None.
Recommended as prerequisite for:
Module coordinator:
Studienleitung
Lecturer: Studienleitung

[updated 08.07.2019]
Learning outcomes:
After successfully completing this module, students will:
- be familiar with the procedures, methods, and challenges involved in the interdisciplinary development of complex technical products
- be familiar with the fundamentals of project management and be able to apply them
- be able to adapt and further develop approaches to suit specific products and projects
- be familiar with the aspects of sustainable product development and be able to apply them in development projects
 
Students will be able to organize themselves into teams

[updated 24.09.2026]
Module content:
1. Introduction and overview
   - Definitions & relevance: Interdisciplinarity in complex products
   - Challenges: Silo mentality, conflicting goals, and differing technical jargon
2. Process models in engineering
   - Phase-oriented vs.  iterative: A comparison of VDI 2221 and the V-Model
   - The Munich Procedural Model (Das Münchner Modell): The 7-step situational problem-solving process
3. Project Management (PM) as a bridge
   - Methods: Traditional, agile, and hybrid project management
   - Oversight: Project structures, milestones, and quality gates
   - Economic efficiency: Resource planning and tracking project costs
4. Team, leadership and communication
   - The human factor: Team building and the role of the project manager
   - Dealing with conflicts of interest: Stakeholder management and conflict resolution within a team
5. Key collaboration methods
   - Market & requirements: e.g., Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
   - Costs & function: e.g., target costing and value analysis
   - Risk & quality: e.g., FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis)
 
Practicing and applying interdisciplinary product development within a project

[updated 24.09.2026]
Teaching methods/Media:
Seminaristic, interactive instruction
 
The “Project” course requirement is completed in teams based on a project plan developed by the students themselves, with defined, measurable objectives, and is aligned with the course content.
The project topic (“project idea”) can be defined by the student.
The project will be monitored in weekly work meetings.

[updated 24.09.2026]
Recommended or required reading:
- Feldhusen, Grote: Pahl/Beitz. Konstruktionslehre - Methoden und Anwendung erfolgreicher Produktentwicklung.
  Springer Vieweg, Heidelberg
- Pahl, Beitz, Feldhusen, Grote: Engineering Design - A Systematic Approach. Springer Verlag, London
- Ehrlenspiel, Meerkamm: Integrierte Produktentwicklung - Denkabläufe, Methodeneinsatz, Zusammenarbeit.
  Carl Hanser Verlag, München
- Herstatt, Sander (Hrsg.): Produktentwicklung mit virtuellen Communities. Gabler-Verlag
- Vajna: Integrated Design Engineering: Interdisziplinäre und ganzheitliche Produktentwicklung. Springer Verlag
- Engeln: Produktentwicklung - Herausforderungen, Organisation, Prozesse, Methoden und Projekte. Vulkan-Verlag
- Scholz, Pastoors, Becker, Hofmann, Van Dun: Praxishandbuch Nachhaltige Produktentwicklung. Springer-Verlag
- Zimmerer: Nachhaltige Produktentwicklung: Integration der Nachhaltigkeit in den Produktentstehungsprozess.
  Disserta-Verlag


[updated 24.09.2026]
 
[Sat Oct 31 19:12:00 CET 2026, CKEY=mip, BKEY=dmm2, CID=DFMME-1b1, LANGUAGE=en, DATE=31.10.2026]