Research tools for analysing design margins in complex engineered systems
Three integrated modules — parametric margin valuation, top-down margin allocation, and probabilistic margin risk — built around the Margin Value Method.
Engineering products carry margins — deliberate or unintentional excess in performance, capacity, or capability beyond what is strictly required. Margins absorb uncertainty and accommodate change, but they also add weight, cost, and complexity. Knowing where they are, what they are worth, and how to manage them is a recurring problem in design.
MARVIN brings together three complementary methods for reasoning about margins in a web-based research environment. Each module addresses a different question, and the modules can be used independently or together as part of a broader margin-management workflow.
Research modules
Browser based
Research tool
Each module documents one method, with notes on organisation, tutorials, case studies, and supporting literature.
Module 1
Build calculation graphs, run sensitivity studies, redesign analysis, and probabilistic assessments using the Margin Value Method.
Read moduleModule 2
Map margin allocation from stakeholder needs through requirements and architecture to design parameters using cascading matrices.
Read moduleModule 3
Build element DSMs, assign likelihood and impact of change propagation, and run Clarkson's CPM to identify margin-critical couplings.
Read moduleThe three modules address different stages and granularities of margin reasoning. They can be used independently, but they share an underlying view of margins as the bridge between requirements, design parameters, and uncertainty.
MARVIN is a research tool. The Margin Value Method itself is described in: