Data Sheets and Specification Booklet

Chances in the context of

1. Objective (Why?)
Data Sheets and Specification Booklet are effective instruments in the product development process.

They help with the challenging task to translate customer requirements into a viable product concept. The objectives are:

Data Sheet: Comprehensively understand customer and market requirements and translate them into a solution-neutral system concept
Specification Booklet: transform the knowledge in the solution-neutral system concepts into a development task

Prerequisites for the efficient and effective use of the possibilities of the Data Sheet and Specification booklet are:

Knowledge and understanding of the development of data sheets
Knowledge and understanding of the development of Specification Booklet
Effective process for the development and cleanup of the dta sheet and specification booklet

2. Procedure (How?)
The collection of the requirements and wishes of the customer is at the beginning of the development of a new product.

All information must be carefully compiled. Many companies use a list of requirements or a technical specification. A systematic translation process for the customer requirements takes place over two stages. In the first stage, the requirements are collected in a booklet. This contains a compilation of the requirements of all external (customers, authorities, standards) and internal (marketing, service, sales, logistics, manufacturing) the new product as well as the description of the environment for the project.

In the second step, requirements from the data sheet are translated into a specification booklet. In contrast to the data sheet, the specificaion booklet can not contain any contradictions. However, it may include quite concrete technical approaches.

Examples
It is recommendable to define a standard classification, in order not to forget important aspects:

Fig. 1 Standard structure of specification (source: VDMA)

Translation of the data sheet into the specification booklet
The translation process of the data sheet to the specification Booklet can be described as follows. Functional requirements must meet requirements for a technical concept. Often, this requires a detailing and concreting of the requirements in the data sheet for the realization of the new product with quantifiable and verifiable quantities. In brief, the task book defines how, which, and with which the requirements are to be implemented in the specification.

Fig. 2 Specification to specification (source: VDMA)

3. Result
A data sheet defines which requirements set for the new product by whom. With that the formulation of the requirements should be solution-neutral. Otherwise, the solution space is restricted. Furthermore, the requirements at this stage may conflict.

A specification booklet can be understood as a development contract for the construction or sub-allocation to a service provider. Usually, the specification booklet is quasi exempted from the data sheet. It thus has the same structure. This approach helps to ensure the consistency of the translation process, since you are always in a position to understand the original customer requirements.

The contents of the dta sheet and specification booklet are an important input for FMEA development. The FMEA verifies the specifications of the LOAD. To this end they are:

Considered in the structure analysis concept solutions
In the function analysis process, data sheet and specification booklet are mirrored.