Method to determine process input variables' values that optimally balance customer based probability of achieving quality and costs for multiple competing attributes

摘要

A method for balancing competing attributes in a multi-attribute design optimization, which receives attributes and a set of input variables as inputs, and incorporates the variation of the input variables, is disclosed. The method receives transfer functions for the performance as a function of the input variables and for the customer assessment of the performance attributes. A preference function is constructed for each of a plurality of attributes to be balanced, the preference function defining a preferred outcome for a given set of inputs. The preference functions associated with each attribute are aggregated to define an aggregated preference function, thereby integrating the attributes. Optimal values are calculated for the set of input variables that optimize the aggregated preference function.