I. Introduction
Product development is the result of a team effort involving a multi-disciplinary group of designers, manufacturers, and even suppliers. The design activity, which may account for only 5% of a product's cost but may influence on 70% of the final cost [1]. With fierce global competition over price, quality, and time to market, the ability to find suppliers quickly is crucial for a company in developing new products. This competitive pressure propagates through the entire supply chain, requiring accurate cost estimation and appropriate price from all manufacturers in the supply chain. The ‘bull-whip’ effect [2] exacerbates the situation even more, making suppliers vulnerable to demand and cost variations.