As industry adopts a consumer focus in its product development strategy, it offers broader product ranges, shorter model lifetimes, and the ability to process orders in arbitrary lot sizes. This offers the ability to conduct early product design and development trade-off analysis among these competing objectives. The use of information technologies and networking capabilities is essential in the dissemination of product knowledge in order to integrate the decision-making process among heterogeneous and distributed partners / units. "Computer-based Design and Manufacturing" offers insights into the methods and techniques that enable implementing a consumer-focused product design philosophy by integrating capabilities for intelligent information support and group decision-making utilizing a common enterprise network model and knowledge interface through shared technologies.

The book will be a collection of the latest methods and state-of-the-art technologies in intelligent product and customer focused design. This book will offer:

- Discussion of applied methods developed in field of the product design

- Latest research results

- Discussion on the need and solutions for new engineering paradigm and philosophy required for product design

- Coverage of advances in information systems and technology in support of CFPD

- Discussion of how to use web-based design environments