Managing Problem-Solving Iterations in Product Development

Problem-solving is a useful way to view product development. In many cases, design teams iterate through a generate-test cycle until a successful design is found. The time required to find a successful design is influenced by the testing strategy. In particular, the amount of time spent generating a solution affects the probability of passing the test. This paper introduces a novel model of the generate-test cycle, develops results from the model, and presents useful insights that can be used to make better decisions about managing problem-solving iterations.