Dr Robert Whitfield
Reader
Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management
Personal statement
Dr Robert Ian Whitfield's research interests include: design co-ordination, collaborative design, integration, resource management, process modelling and optimisation, product data and product lifecycle management, engineering risk management, and modular design. These research interests come under the general umbrella of Systems Engineering. He has developed a number of different tools and techniques relating to these research areas that have been used by industry including:
- a modular design tool that models different types of interactions between components or systems of a product which can then be used to optimise the product structure providing a hierarchical structure that can facilitate assembly (implemented within complex system development industries);
- a design process optimisation tool that models the flow of information within engineering design processes which can then be used for business process re-engineering to reduce rework and management concurrency (used within defence industries);
- a collaborative design environment that integrates product information, design and analysis tools, and expertise and supports distributed collaborative design, version management, product data management, consistency management, and optimisation (used within shipbuilding industries);
- resource management and optimisation tools and techniques that improve decision making within resource constrained, multi-project environments; and (used within New Product Development industries),
- an approach to support organisational decision making within large complex engineering design programmes which manages the entire decision process from inception through to reuse (used within defence industries).
He has published this research within over 60 peer-reviewed articles. He has been involved with both the proposal writing, management and conducting of research within a number of large FP5, FP6 and FP7 integrated projects within the shipbuilding industry – typically with between 30 and 50 partners, and has garnered significant knowledge in how to achieve collaboration between a large number of partners for successful project completion. These projects have each focussed upon the development of collaborative tools and techniques for the integration of distributed design expertise across Europe.
Prize And Awards
- Top three reviewer - Journal of Engineering Design
- Recipient
- 2009
- Member, Design Society
- Recipient
- 2007
- Member, Institution of Engineering Designers
- Recipient
- 2003
Publications
- Systems thinking towards holistic, sustainability-oriented assessment and decision-making for lightweighting
- Johnston-Lynch Katharina, Whitfield Ian, Evans Dorothy
- 18th International Design Conference, pp. 1319-1328 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2024.134
- Online course design using iterative workshops on computer-supported collaborative design for engineering design students
- Brisco Ross, Whitfield Robert Ian, Grierson Hilary
- Design and Technology Education: An International Journal Vol 27, pp. 8-35 (2022)
- Model-based engineering and the digital thread
- Harrison N A W, Whitfield R I, Odukoya K A, Powell A I
- 16th International Naval Engineering Conference (2022)
- Process considerations for Product Lifecycle Management implementation for high value Engineering to Order programmes
- McKendry Daniel A, Whitfield Robert I
- Design Science Vol 8 (2022)
- https://doi.org/10.1017/dsj.2022.21
- Students perception of risk : team members contribution within collaborative projects
- Kelland Charlotte Alexandra, Brisco Ross, Whitfield Ian
- Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2022) 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (2022)
- https://doi.org/10.35199/EPDE.2022.34
- Leveraging on collective prosperity for supply chain disruption during Covid-19 lockdown : experience from Nigeria
- Ali Ibrahim, Whitfield Robert Ian
- 29th International European Operations Management Association Annual Conference, pp. 1-10 (2022)
Teaching
Dr Robert Ian Whitfield is passionate about delivering a high quality learning experience within all of the classes that he delivers using material that is designed, developed and delivered to a very high standard. He is class registrar and lecturer for the following classes:
- DM103 Technology Concepts - introduces students to a wide range of electrical and mechanical concepts, which forms the foundation for future learning. Dr Whitfield specifically focusses upon the mechanics aspects of statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics.
- DM200 Design 2 - concentrates on techniques appropriate to different phases of the design process including user centred design research, conceptual, embodiment and detailed design.
- DM206 Sports Engineering - allows students to understand both the basic principles of fluid mechanics and materials choice, and apply this knowledge to the design and evaluation of the performance of athletes and their equipment.
- DM933 Engineering Risk Management - introduces and applies the principles of engineering risk management such as risk management processes, reliability, ALARP, FMEA, HAZOP, fault and event trees, robust design and decision making.
All classes have been designed focussing upon achieving a high quality student experience and
learning. The feedback from students has receives is reflective of this experience, for example: 97-100% strongly/agreeing communication was clear and effective, 94-100% strongly/agreeing teaching was well prepared and organised. A number of aspects of his teaching are used as departmental good practice.
Professional Activities
- Can hierarchical modularity support the architectural design of Systems of Systems?
- Speaker
- 27/8/2024
- 18th International Design Conference, DESIGN 2024
- Chair
- 20/5/2024
- International Journal on Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacture (Journal)
- Peer reviewer
- 23/4/2024
- International Conference on Research Into Design 2025 (Event)
- Peer reviewer
- 18/3/2024
- External examiner for PhD
- Examiner
- 14/3/2024
- INCOSE Scottish Group
- Speaker
- 27/2/2024
Projects
- Applied Systems Engineering Management (RAEng Visiting Professor)
- Whitfield, Ian (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Sep-2023 - 28-Aug-2026
- 22/145 Systems Engineering Innovation hubs for Multiple longterm Conditions - Devlopment phase
- Maier, Anja (Principal Investigator) Connolly, Patricia (Co-investigator) Gray, Louise (Co-investigator) Inns, Tom (Co-investigator) Kurdi, Amanj (Co-investigator) Maguire, Roma (Co-investigator) Mehnen, Jorn (Co-investigator) Michie, Craig (Co-investigator) Mueller, Tanja (Co-investigator) Picanco Rodrigues, Vinicius (Co-investigator) Tachtatzis, Christos (Co-investigator) Whitfield, Ian (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jul-2023 - 31-Jul-2025
- Digital Readiness Level: diagnostic tool development
- Hird, Abigail (Principal Investigator) Ion, William (Principal Investigator) Whitfield, Ian (Principal Investigator)
- 06-Mar-2017 - 30-Jun-2017
- Doctoral Training Partnership (DTA - University of Strathclyde) | Brisco, Ross
- Whitfield, Ian (Principal Investigator) Grierson, Hilary (Co-investigator) Brisco, Ross (Research Co-investigator)
- This project is investigating students utilisation of social network sites for conducting design activities and supporting the design process, such as, to support the reasoning and discussion required to make design decisions. Social network sites offer functionality which meets the needs of computer-supported collaborative design systems, such as, in the exchange and ideas, artefacts and documents. The ubiquity of social network sites and integration with student’s life allows them access to conduct teamwork at all times of the day and the integration of mobile devices allow them access from anywhere. Our findings show that students utilise this ability throughout their daily lives such as, utilising spare time on public transport or whilst waiting in a line in a shop to check in on team progress or contribute to a discussion. The growth of social network sites within academia and enterprise suggest that students will need to utilise the technology in the future. With this, and social network sites ability to support the design process identified in this study, there is a need to investigate the requirement for new design education pedagogies to support students learning. It is important to reason how this might be delivered and how we might encourage the use of best practices when engaging with the technology.
- 01-Oct-2015 - 15-Sep-2021
- KTP - Spirit Aerostructures
- Whitfield, Ian (Principal Investigator) Hird, Abigail (Co-investigator) Ion, William (Co-investigator)
- 14-Sep-2015 - 13-Sep-2017
- High Value Event Studentship - Scottish Water
- Whitfield, Ian (Principal Investigator)
- 15-Oct-2012 - 14-Oct-2015
Contact
Dr
Robert
Whitfield
Reader
Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management
Email: ian.whitfield@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 4548