Estimating design effort using parametric models: A case study at Pratt & Whitney Canada

Aerospace is very important to the Canadian economy, with over 80,000 employees and generating over $20 billion dollars in revenue. However, this industry like many others is facing many challenges. One of them is the difficulty in being able to estimate design effort required in a design project, which impacts not only resource requirements and lead-time but also the final cost. This article presents the findings of a case study conducted for Pratt & Whitney Canada, recognized as a global leader in the design and manufacturing of aircraft engines. The study models parametric cost estimation relationships to estimate the design effort of integrated blade-rotor low-pressure compressor fans. Several effort drivers are selected to model the relationship. Comparative analyses of three types of models are conducted. The model with the best accuracy and significance in design estimation is retained.