Auditing multiple design projects-an Internet-based approach of design management

Traditional product design management focuses on project management techniques, decision-making process and methodology of cost and schedule control. To manage multiple design projects (MDP) executed concurrently, these approaches may not pay enough attention to all situations occurring throughout projects. On the other hand, project audit, which plays an important role in project success, is hardly discussed in practical design management. In fact, complicated information drawn together for managing multiple design projects, makes project audits more complex and challenging. Internet environment extends the communication capability and improves the efficiency of information acquisition and processing. A large amount of data now generated by multiple design projects can be accessed and communicated through the Internet. Such projects as design cases of international cooperation take advantages of sharing information and knowledge using the Internet. This paper proposes an Internet-based approach of auditing multiple design projects. It provides a project audit structure of applying three factors of the Internet-information, communication and collaboration