Data-driven dynamic network modeling for analyzing the evolution of product competitions

Jian Xie, Youyi Bi, Zhenghui Sha, Mingxian Wang, Yan Fu, Noshir Contractor, Lin Gong, Wei Chen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Understanding the impact of engineering design on product competitions is imperative for product designers to better address customer needs and develop more competitive products. In this paper, we propose a dynamic network based approach to modeling and analyzing the evolution of product competitions using multi-year product survey data. We adopt Separate Temporal Exponential Random Graph Model (STERGM) as the statistical inference framework because it considers the evolution of dynamic networks as two separate processes: formation and dissolution. This treatment allows designers to investigate why two products enter into competition and why a competitive relationship preserves or dissolves over time. In an open market, the available products to customers are continuously changing over the time, posing challenges for conventional modeling methods concerning fixed product input. Consequently, we propose to leverage “structural zeros” in STERGM to tackle the problem of modeling varying product competitors as nodes in dynamic networks. We use China’s automotive market as a case study to illustrate the implementation of the proposed approach and its benefits compared to the static network modeling approach based on Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM). The results show that our approach identifies the driving factors associated with product attributes and current market competition structures for the change of competition in both formation and dissolution processes. The insights gained from this paper can help designers better interpret the temporal changes of product competition relations and make product design decisions with the aid of dynamic network-based models.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication45th Design Automation Conference
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
ISBN (Electronic)9780791859186
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
EventASME 2019 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC-CIE 2019 - Anaheim, United States
Duration: Aug 18 2019Aug 21 2019

Publication series

NameProceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference
Volume2A-2019

Conference

ConferenceASME 2019 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC-CIE 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAnaheim
Period8/18/198/21/19

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from NSF-CMMI-1436658, Ford-Northwestern Alliance Project, the grant from China Scholarship Council (No. 201706030108) and National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2018YFB1700800).

Keywords

  • Dynamic network analysis
  • ERGM
  • Engineering design
  • Product competition
  • STERGM

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Modeling and Simulation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Data-driven dynamic network modeling for analyzing the evolution of product competitions'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this