Concurrent Engineering

Also known as simultaneous engineering or

parallel engineering or iterative engineering
Concurrent Engineering Defined
1st Definition
“The simultaneous performance of product design
and process design. Typically, concurrent
engineering involves the formation of cross-
functional teams. This allows engineers and
managers of different disciplines to work
together simultaneously in developing product
and process design.”
Foster, S. Thomas. Managing Quality: An Integrative Approach. Upper
Saddle River New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001.
Concurrent Engineering Defined
2nd Definition
“Concurrent engineering methodologies permit the
separate tasks of the product development
process to be carried out simultaneously rather
than sequentially. Product design, testing,
manufacturing and process planning through
logistics, for example, are done side-by-side and
interactively. Potential problems in fabrication,
assembly, support and quality are identified and
resolved early in the design process.”
Izuchukwu, John. “Architecture and Process :The Role of Integrated
Systems in Concurrent Engineering.” Industrial Management
Mar/Apr 1992: p. 19-23.
 Concurrent Engineering Defined
3nd Definition
 Definition: “Integrated approach to
product-design that takes into account all
stages of a product’s life cycle from design
to disposal – including costs, quality,
testing, user needs, customer support, and
logistics” - BusinessDictionary.com
Sequential vs Concurrent product development
Sequential Development

Full
Idea Opportunity Prototype Process
Scale
Genera- Assess- Develop- Develop- Scale up
Ope-
tion ment ment ment
rations
Idea Opportunity Proto- Process Full
Genera- Assess- type Develop- Scale up Scale
tion ment Develop- ment Ope-
ment rations

Concurrent Development

Months of Development

The fig. compares concurrent and sequential product development,

and shows that concurrent development reduces product cycle time
 Tenets
 Basic Tenets of Concurrent Engineering
-Doing things simultaneously
-Focusing on the Process
-Converting hierarchical organizations into
teams

CE holds some basic tenets, which are the goals

of any organization which institutes CE. Experts
report that the majority of manufacturing
companies today are using CE and continually
seeing improvement
 Goals
 Basic Goals of Concurrent Engineering
-Dramatic improvements in time to market
and costs
-Improvements to product quality and
performance
-Do more with less

These are the goals that management should push

to the teams involved in CE. Organizations
instituting CE are looking to achieve in their
production.
 Features
 Concurrent Engineering = Teamwork
-The more communication exists, the
better the product.

 Balances Needs
-Customer, Supplier, Engineers,
Marketing, and Manufacturing needs.
 Features
 Management
-Good mgmt is vitally important
-Encourage communication
-Strong mgmt support

When working with CE, management is a vitally

important aspect. Good management can keep
focus and open lines of communication. With
weak management, CE groups tend to lose
concentration on the goal.
 The CE Approach
 Focuses on optimizing and distributing
resources within a company or unit during
design and development
 Collaboration is required
 Involves implementation, appraisal, and
continuous improvement initiatives
 Must be applied throughout a system to be
successful (requires strong leadership)
 How it Works
 3 Main Areas to Concurrent Engineering

1) People
2) Process
3) Technology
 How It Works
 Area 1: People

-Formation of teams
These teams usually include engineers, analysts,
manufacturers, personnel, customers, and
suppliers.

-Training
Training is for the tools used in CE, usually
computer aided drafting. Another important yet
overlooked training is in non-technical areas,
such as problem-solving and conflict resolution.
 How It Works
 Area 2: Process

-Changes in your processes

A large part of CE is re-engineering the product
development process. Many organizations have
processes they refuse to change, but doing so
could doom them to failure.

-Be open to change

When instituting CE, be willing to change and
update your development process in order to
keep things moving successfully.
 How It Works
 Area 3: Technology

-CAD/CAM
It’s very hard, if not impossibly, to fine a CE firm
that does not utilize computer-aided drafting or
computer-aided manufacturing.

-Software. Hardware, and Networking

Your choices of hardware, software, and
networking applications make CE efforts
successful, especially in today’s global, virtual
business world.
 How It Works
 Basic Summary
-Most important aspect is People
-Process and Technology: Don’t be afraid of change

 When instituting CE, building teams and training your

people is the most important thing to do. CE is based on
teamwork so you must have member of different
disciplines who are able to communicate their intentions
clearly. When dealing with process and tech., the basic
tenet is to be willing to change, and not be stuck in your
current ideas. Be able to use Computer-aided drafting
and/or computer-aided manufacturing in order to aid
your CE implementation.
Thank you