Morphological Matrix

NameMorphological Matrix
AbbreviationMOR
Learning Cost60
Playing Cost150
Suggested Phases2,3
Engineers
Mechanical Engineer Industrial Design System Engineer Electrical Engineer Production Engineer Software Engineer
Technique and Issue Views
BusinessNeeds Stakeholder Stakeholder Needs System Requirements System Structure Architecture
System Functional Architecture Detail Hardware Design Detail Service Design Detail Software Design Manufacturing Operations
Technique Traits
Identify Stakeholders Elicit Needs Remove Ambiguity Layman's Terms Technical Terms Teamworkings
0 2 1 2 3 2
Traceability Prioritizing Exploring Breadth Inside the Box Outside the box V&V
3 2 3 3 3 2
Verification and Validation
Analysis Calculus Inspection Demonstration Test

By exploring all functionalities of a product and offering alternative approaches to providing them, Morphological charts help in selecting and combining alternatives. Many times, there are multiple ways of providing a specific function for almost every function of a product. In a morphological chart, the designer brainstorms all different possibilities and places them one next to the other. This allows for finding all possible alternatives and creates the structure for alternative selection and for combining different solutions for different functions. Done in early stages, this allows to establish an initial product architecture, defining how the required functions will be successfully implemented and integrated with each other. [1]