Concurrent Engineering
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What is concurrent engineering
Concurrent engineering is a method of designing and developing engineering products, in which
different departments work on the different stages of engineering product development
simultaneously. If managed well, it helps to increase the efficiency of product development and
marketing considerably reducing the time and contributing to the reduction of the overall
development cost while improving the final product quality.
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Figure 1 Concurrent Engineering interactions
This streamlined approach towards an engineering product forces several teams such as product
design, manufacturing, production, marketing, product support, finance, etc., within the
organisation to work simultaneously on new product development. (figure1)
For instance, while engineering product designers begin to design the product, the sales team can
start working on the marketing and the product support department can start thinking about the
after-sale support. While the mechanical designers work on the packaging design to incorporate
the PCB being developed by the electrical engineering team, the software engineers can start
looking at the software code.
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Concurrent engineering, also known as the integrated product development
(IPD) or simultaneous engineering was introduced a few decades ago to eliminate the issues
from sequential engineering or so-called “over the wall” process. This systematic approach is
intended to force all the stakeholders to be involved and the full engineering product cycle to be
considered from concept to after-sale support. There are plenty of incentives to choose
Concurrent engineering over sequential engineering product development.
The popularity of integrated product development has been growing recently, thanks to the ever-
increasing demand for quality products expeditiously at affordable prices.
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Although managing a simultaneous engineering process is very challenging, the techniques and
practices followed as part of concurrent engineering benefits from several competitive
advantages to the company and to the final engineering product itself.
Elements of concurrent engineering
Concurrent engineering presents an environment which encourages and improves the interaction
of different disciplines and departments towards a single goal of satisfying an engineering
product requirements. Key elements of concurrent engineering can be summarised using a PPT
framework or the Golden Triangle (Figure 2).
Figure 2. People, process & technology framework
People, process, and technology are crucial to any organisation and essential in implementing
concurrent engineering to achieve shorter development time, lower cost, improved product quality
and to fulfil customer needs.
People
Concurrent product development is a multidisciplinary team task and it’s necessary that
companies utilise the right skilled personnel at the right time to accelerate product development.
It is also necessary to find people with the right skills and experience along with the following key
aspects;
Multidisciplinary team to suit the product at the start of the NPD
Teamwork culture at the core of the program
Good communication and collaboration between teams – sharing relevant and up to date
information across departments and personnel
The harmonized goal across the company from the top management to the bottom of the
organizational structure
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Process
A process is a series of product development steps that need to happen to achieve a goal. These
can be project planning stages, milestone management, problem-solving methodologies, product
development key stages, information sharing workflow, etc., as just people are ineffective without
processes in place to support their tasks and decisions. Following are some of the processes that
can be adopted in concurrent engineering;
Project planning processes and workflow management which include key new product
development elements such as key design stages, milestones for cross-departmental
interaction, etc.
Workflow for product data management such as sharing information, manage engineering
change, control specification creep, etc.
Product requirement tracking and checkpoints using techniques such as Quality Function
Deployment (QFD) across departments
Design evaluation workflow processes
Design analysis methodologies such as brainstorming
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) allows for a systematic investigation of the
occurrence and impact of possible flaws in the new product design
The use of Design of Experiments (DOE) enables the systematic identification of critical
product/process parameters that influence performance
Technology
For concurrent engineering to be successful, the effective introduction of tools, techniques, and
technologies to aid asmooth integration of people and processes is vital. Following key aspects
should be considered before any implementation.
Identifying the correct tools and technologies that suit the company size, number of team
members, processes implemented and product type
Identifying the training needs and training people to use the tools and technologies identified
above
These are just few of the many supportive tools that can be used in a concurrent engineering
environment.
Project management software
Product data management & product lifecycle management suites
Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
3D CAD and rapid prototyping technologies such as additive manufacturing
Suitable FEA tools
Evaluation tools such as DFM, DFA, DFMA and DOE
Failure mode analysis tools such as FMEA
Concurrent new product development
By concurrently engaging in multiple aspects of design and development phases across the PPT
framework, a new product cycle can be decreased significantly. Figure 3 shows a typical new
product development cycle with some examples of concurrent activities and functions discussed
above.
Figure 3. Typical concurrent product development
Examples of concurrent new product development activities:
Management consults experts from different disciplines to jointly define a product design
specification (PDS). Tools such as QFD can be used to track the product requirement across
departments during the initial product development stages.
During the embodiment design stage, manufacturing is consulted to evaluate the
manufacturability of the design by using tools such as DFM, QFD and DFMA.
Production is consulted to evaluate the design for assembly, which would flag up issues with
an assembly including the requirement of tools and jigs. Tools such as design for assembly
(DFA) can be used to analyse the design.
Sharing design information with production at the detailed design stages of the process would
enable them to get the tools and production jigs ready for production.
At the final stages of the design, the design team shares information such as final
specification with sales and marketing teams enabling them to prepare datasheets, brochures,
package design, promotional events, etc.
Sharing the latest information across the team in a controlled central manner is crucial at all
stages.
Advantages and disadvantages of Concurrent
engineering
Advantages of concurrent engineering
It encourages multi-disciplinary collaboration
Reduces product cycle time
Reduces cost
Increases quality by supporting the entire project cycle – enhanced quality
Increases productivity by stopping mistakes in their tracks
Gives a competitive edge over the competitors
Disadvantages of concurrent engineering
Complex to manage
Relies on everyone working together hence communication is critical
Room for mistakes is small as it impacts all the departments or disciplines involved
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Summary
Concurrent engineering is a powerful workflow methodology if implemented correctly that will
positively impact product quality and the objectives of the company. However, there are no one-
size-fits-all method or procedures as each company and product development will be different.
Hence, catering and putting a suitable system in place across the PPT framework is crucial to the
success and a challenge faced by product managers.
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Contents
What is concurrent engineering
Elements of concurrent engineering
People
Process
Technology
Concurrent new product development
Advantages and disadvantages of Concurrent engineering
Advantages of concurrent engineering
Disadvantages of concurrent engineering
Summary
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