Design for excellence in the era of industry 4.0–DfX4.0

The challenges associated with product design and development are growing significantly, driven by the increasing number of requirements and diverse expectations of customers. In addition, the evolving needs of diverse industries demand continuous improvement to address these challenges. Consequently, finding a balance among the various aspects of the product design and development process is becoming increasingly difficult. This is further exacerbated by dynamic technological, economic, and social changes driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. One concept that has been developed and refined over the years to address these challenges is Design for eXcellence. DfX supports the work of designers in various aspects of product design, development, and design engineering through a framework of specific methods and tools. This article highlights recent advancements and methodologies in Design for eXcellence, presenting an organized overview of current Design for eXcellence methods and tools, along with their classifications. Furthermore, emerging trends in Design for eXcellence are examined in the context of Industry 4.0 and its technologies, demonstrating how Design for eXcellence practices are adapting to the modern manufacturing environment of Industry 4.0. A systematic literature review addresses the research gap regarding the application of Industry 4.0 technologies in product design and development through the lens of Design for eXcellence.