Department of Industrial and Production Engineering

IP43614 - Product Management

Unit - 1

Product Design

Sumit Dwivedi
Assistant Professor
IPE Department, SGSITS, Indore
S. NO. RECOMMENDED BOOKS UNIT

1. Chitale A. K. and Gupta R. C., Product Design and Manufacturing, PHI, 1, 2, 3

New Delhi, India. ( Reference book)

2. Gupta V., Lal G.K. and Reddy, Fundamentals of Design and manufacturing, 3
Narosa Publishing, New

3. James Garrat, Design & Technology, Cambridge University Press 1, 2

(Reference book)

4. Kolter, Philip, Marketing Management, PHI. New Delhi, India. 4, 5

5. Dieter, Engineering Design, Marketing Management, PHI. 4, 5

6. Stanton, Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall. 4, 5

Product Design
What is a Product Design?

 Product design deals with conversion of idea into reality and as in other forms of human activity, aims at
fulfilling human needs.

 A designer usually does not produce the goods or services which immediately satisfy consumer’s needs.
Rather, he produces the prototype which is used as a sample for reproducing the particular goods or
services as many times as required.

 If producers believes that a sufficient number of customers will be satisfied by the product, then the mass
production of the item or service may be taken up by the production department.

 In the course of production, an error made by the producer in manufacturing an item may lead to its
rejection, but an error in design, which will be repeated in all products, may lead to an economic
misadventure of enormous proportions. The designer’s responsibility is therefore serious.
Design by Innovation
Following a scientific discovery, a new body of technical knowledge develops rapidly, the proper use of
this discovery may result in an almost complete deviation from part practice. Every skill, which the
designer or the design team can assemble in analysis and synthesis, is instrumental in a totally novel
design. Example of design by innovation are:

a) Light bulb invented by Thomas Alwa Edison is a design by innovation. As you know, its the first kind
of light bulb ever designed. It is an innovation. So it comes under design by innovation.

b) Invention of laser beam which has brought about a revolution in medical and engineering fields. Laser
based tools have made surgical knife in medicine and gas cutting in engineering obsolete.

c) Invention of solid state electronic devices resulting in miniaturization of electronic products, which has
made vacuum tubes obsolete.
Design by Evolution
 In the past, designs used to evolve over long span of time. The slow pace of technological change
reduced the risk of making major errors. The circumstances rarely demanded analytical capabilities of
designer. This was Design by Evolution.

 All varieties of light bulbs invented after the first one is evolutionary design like CFL, LED bulbs.
Although these are all new designs, but evolved out of the old design.

 The development of the bicycle from its crank operated version to its present day chain and sprocket
version over a period of about a century is a typical example of design by evolution.

The disadvantages of evolutionary design are:

a) Unsuitability for mass production.

b) Difficulty in modification.

c) Inability to tap new technologies.

Essential Factors of Product Design
 Need: A design must be in response to individual or social needs.

 Physical Realizability: A design should be convertible into material goods or services, i.e. it must be
physically realizable. The technique for determining the physical realizability is termed design tree
approach. In this approach the success of design concept is depend on the success of its sub-problems
say Q1 and Q2. Let D11, D12 represent alternative solutions of Q1 and D21, D22 represent alternative solution
of Q2 and so on. Then the probability equation are:

P(D) = P(Q1) P(Q2)

P(Q1) = P(D11 or D12) = P(D11) + P(D12) – P(D11) P(D12)

P(Q2) = P(D21 or D22) = P(D21) + P(D22) – P(D21) P(D22)

Essential Factors of Product Design
The probability values of D11, D12, D21 and D22 should be estimated from practical considerations. An
example of development of device for combating automobile head on crash is illustrated in figure below.
Essential Factors of Product Design
 Economics worthwhileness: The goods or services, described by a design, must have a utility to the
consumer which equals or exceeds the sum of the total costs of making it available to him.

 Financial feasibility: The operations of designing, producing and distributing the goods must be
financially supportable i.e. a design project should be capable for being funded by suitable agencies or
people.

 Optimality: The choice of design concept must be optimal amongst the available alternatives; the
selection of the chosen design concept must be optimal amongst all possible design proposals.

 Morphology: Design is progression from the abstract to the concrete. This gives a chronologically
horizontal structure to a design project.

 Design process: Design is an iterative problem solving process. This gives a vertical structure to each
design phase.
Production - Consumption cycle
The production-consumption cycle, one of the main features of the socio-ecological systems consists of
four processes:

1. Production

2. Distribution

3. Consumption

4. Recovery or disposal.
Production - Consumption cycle
The process are illustrated in figure below. A
Production
good design should aim at avoiding the
production of undesirable. Resources Goods

Recovery Distribution

Goods in
Scrap
use

Waste Consumption
Product Specification
What is a Product Specification?

A Product Specification, commonly referred to as a product spec, is an important product document that
outlines key requirements for building a new feature, functionality, or product. Like a blueprint, a product
spec contains key information (e.g., target users, business needs, goals, and other essential details) to help
guide the product team in building a successful product.

An effective product spec is concise, brief, and not overly technical. It should answer these key questions:

 What are we building, and why?

 What should this new product achieve?

 How do we measure success?

Product Specification
Why is a Product Spec Important?

 A product spec is a critical early step for product development as it requires critical thinking in the
initial stages of fleshing out a new idea. It effectively communicates what’s you’re building and for
whom, and what the outcome should be.

 Additionally, it provides essential context for those who will be developing the product. It also serves as
a guideline for product teams to follow throughout the development process. And a really good product
spec provides clarity, which streamlines development, keeps teams on track, and helps avoid costly
miscommunication.

 Product specifications act as the outline and structure that your team will use as their roadmap to bring
your ideas to life. Not only does creating the product specifications ease your development process, but
it ensures that your team stays on track with the goal for the product.
Morphology of Design (The Seven Phases)
 A design project goes through a number of time phases. Primitive Need
Morphology of design refers to the collection of these time
phases.
Primary
 It is a chronological horizontal structure to a design project. Design

It consists of seven phases. Phases

 The first three phases are the primary design phases and
remaining four phases are related to production consumption
Phases related
cycle.
to production
 The morphology of design are put forward by Morris consumption

Asimov. cycle
Morphology of Design (The Seven Phases)
Phase I - Feasibility Study:

This stage is also called conceptual design. A design project always begins with a feasibility study. The
purpose and activities during feasibility study are:

 To ascertain there really exists a need i.e. the existence of need must be supported by necessary
evidences.

 Search for a number of possible solutions.

 Evaluate the solutions i.e.

Is it physically realizable?

Is it economically worthwhile?

Is it within our financial capacity?

Morphology of Design (The Seven Phases)
Phase II - Preliminary (Embodiment) Design:

This is the stage art in which the concept generated in the feasibility study is carefully developed. The
important activities done at this stage are:

 Model building & testing.

 Study the advantages and disadvantages of different solutions.

 Check for performance, quality strength, aesthetics etc.

Phase III - Detail Design:

Its purpose is to furnish the complete engineering description of the tested product. The arrangement, from
dimensions, tolerances and surface properties of all individual parts are determined. Also, the materials to
be used and the manufacturing process to be adopted etc. are decided. Finally, complete prototype is tested.
Morphology of Design (The Seven Phases)
Phase IV - Planning for Production:

This phase includes all the production planning and control activities necessary for the manufacture of the
product. The main tasks at this phase are:

• Preparation of process sheet i.e. the document containing a sequential list of manufacturing processes.

• Specify the condition of raw materials, tools & machine requirements.

• Estimation of production cost.

• Specify the requirement in the plant.

• Planning quality control systems.

• Planning for production control.

• Planning for information flow system etc.

Morphology of Design (The Seven Phases)
Phase V - Planning for Distribution:

The economic success of a design depends on the skill exercised in marketing. Hence, this phase aims at
planning an effective distribution system. Different activities of this phase are:

• Designing the packing of the product.

• Planning effective and economic warehousing systems.

• Planning advertisement techniques.

• Designing the product for effective distribution in the prevailing conditions.

Morphology of Design (The Seven Phases)
Phase VI - Planning for Consumption/use:

The purpose of this phase is to incorporate in the design all necessary user - oriented features. The various
steps are:

• Design for maintenance.

• Design for reliability.

• Design for convenience in use.

• Design for aesthetic features.

• Design for prolonged life.

• Design for product improvement on the basis of service data.

Morphology of Design (The Seven Phases)
Phase VII - Planning for Retirement:

This is the phase that takes into account when the product has reached the end of useful life. A product may
retire when,

• It does not function properly.

• Another competitive design emerges.

• Changes of taste or fashion etc.

The various steps in this phase are:

• Design for several levels of use.

• Design to reduce the rate of obsolescence.

• Examine service-terminated products to obtain useful information.

New Product Development Process
New product.

 A product is anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy needs and wants.

 A New product is any product which is perceived by the customer as being new.

New product Categories:

 New to the world.

 New to the product lines.

 Additions to the existing product line.

 Improvements & revisions of existing products.

 Repositioning and Cost reductions.

New Product Development Process
New Product Development is the development of original products, product improvements, product
modifications, and new brands through the R&D efforts of firms. This process consist of following steps.

 Idea Generation.

 Idea Screening.

 Concept Development & Testing.

 Marketing Strategy Development.

 Business Analysis.

 Product Development.

 Market Testing.

 Commercialization.
New Product Development Process
Idea Generation:

 Idea generation is continuous, systematic search for new product opportunities.

 Ideas from using creativity generating techniques and generated through firm’s internal & external
sources.
Internal Sources External Sources
R&D Customers
Employee Competitors
Suppliers
Distributors
Online Opinion
New Product Development Process
Idea Screening:

 Filtering the ideas to pick out good ones & dropping the poor ones.

 It involves a preliminary elimination process in which a large number of product ideas are screened in
terms of the organization’s objectives, policies, technical feasibility, and financial viability.

 Total ideas are categories into three group. They are, promising ideas, marginal ideas and rejected ideas.

 In screening ideas, the companies normally face 2 serious errors & they must try to avoid these mistakes.

1. DROP ERROR - A “Drop Error” occurs when a business errors in deciding to abandon a product idea
that may have been successful if developed.

2. GO ERROR - A “Go Error” occurs when a business fails to identify a poor product idea that has
already moved into the development and commercialization stages.
New Product Development Process
Concept Development & Testing:

 Here, the Product idea is converted into product concept.

The Product ideas means Possible product that company may offer to the market.

The product concept is a detailed version of the idea stated in meaningful consumer terms

 When developing product concept following criteria should be consider.

Who will use the product.

What primary benefit should this product provide.

When will this product be consumed.

 Concept Testing means presenting the product concept to target consumers, physically or symbolically,
and getting their reactions.
New Product Development Process
Marketing Strategy Development:

After concept testing, for concepts that qualify a preliminary marketing strategy is created to introduce
new product into market.
New Product Development Process
Business Analysis:

 This stage will decide whether from financial as well as marketing point of view, the project is beneficial
or not. In Business Analysis,

Estimate likely selling price based upon competition and customer feedback.

Estimate sales volume based upon size of market.

Estimate profitability and break-even point.

 If above are match with the company's objectives, then the new product concept moves to product
development stage.
New Product Development Process
Product Development:

 Up to now, the product has existed only as a word description and a drawing.

 The company will now determine whether the product idea can translate into a technically and
commercially feasible product.

Produce a Test the Conduct focus Make

physical prototype product group customer adjustment
New Product Development Process
Market Testing:

 Now the product is ready to be branded with a name, logo, and packaging and go into a preliminary
market testing.

 Marketing Testing involves placing a product for sale in one or more selected areas and observing its
actual performance under the proposed marketing plan.

Methods for market testing:

1. Sales wave research.

2. Simulated test marketing.

3. Controlled testing marketing.

4. Test markets.
New Product Development Process
Commercialization:

 After successful market testing, new product comes to commercialization stage.

 During this stage, production of new product on a commercial basis is rapidly built up and implementing
a total marketing plan.

 For formally launching a New Product, the following decisions to be taken:

1) When to launch (Timing)

2) Where to launch (Geographic Strategy)

3) To Whom (Target-Market Prospects)

4) How to launch (Introductory Market Strategy)

New Product Development Process
Conclusion:

 Every year millions of rupees are being spent on R&D for new products development. Such huge
investment is necessary as new products are the only means of survival of a firm.

 New product development provides a number of advantages to the enterprise.

To produce goods & services with best quality.

It helps in providing maximum customer satisfaction.

To replace declining product and take advantage of new technology.

To maintain/increase market share with competitive advantages.

To fill gap in the market.

Product Analysis
 Everyday we use thousands of different products, from telephones to bikes and drinks cans to washing
machines. But have you ever thought about how they work or the way they are made?

 Every product is designed in a particular way - Product analysis enables us to understand the
important materials, processing, economic and aesthetic decisions which are required before any
product can be manufactured. An understanding of these decisions can help us in designing and making
for ourselves.
Product Analysis
Getting started

 The first task in product analysis is to become familiar with the product!

 What does it do?

 How does it do it?

 What does it look like?

 All these questions, and more, need to be asked before a product can be analyzed. As well as considering
the obvious mechanical (and possibly electrical) requirements.

 It is also important to consider the ergonomics, how the design has been made user-friendly and
any marketing issues - these all have an impact on the later design decisions.
Product Analysis
Let's take the example of a bike:

 What is the function of a bicycle?

 How does the function depend on the type of bike (e.g. racing, or about-town, or child's bike)?

 How is it made to be easily maintained?

 What should it cost?

 What should it look like (colors etc.)?

 How has it been made comfortable to ride?

 How do the mechanical bits work and interact?

If you do this exercise for various products, you will very quickly discover something interesting.
Product Analysis
Systems and components:
There are 2 main types of product - those that only have one component (e.g. a spatula) and those that have
lots of components (e.g. a bike). Products with lots of components we call systems. For example:

Product Components
Bike Frame, wheels, pedals, forks, etc.
Drill Case, chuck, drill bit, motor, etc.
Multi-gym Seat, weights, frame, wire, handles, etc.

In product analysis, we start by considering the whole system. But, to understand why various materials
and processes are used, we usually need to 'pull it apart' and think about each component as well. We can
now analyze the function in more detail and draft a design specification.
Product Analysis
Some important design questions:

To build a design specification, consider questions like the following:

 What are the requirements on each part (electrical, mechanical, aesthetic, ergonomic, etc)?

 What is the function of each component, and how do they work?

 What is each part made of and why?

 How many of each part are going to be made?

 What manufacturing methods were used to make each part and why ?

 Are there alternative materials or designs in use and can you propose improvements?
Product Analysis
These are only general questions, to act as a guide - you will need to think of the appropriate questions for
the products and components you have to analyze. For a drinks container, a design specification would
look something like:

 Provide a leak free environment for storing liquid.

 Comply with food standards and protect the liquid from health hazards.

 For fizzy drinks, withstand internal pressurization and prevent escape of bubbles.

 Provide an aesthetically pleasing view or image of the product.

 If possible create a brand identity.

 Be easy to open, store, transport and cheap to produce for volumes of 10,000+

Once we have a specification, the next stage in the process is to understand how the materials are chosen.
Product Analysis
Choosing the right materials: Given the specification of the requirements on each part, we can identify
the material properties which will be important - for example:

Requirement Material Property

must conduct electricity electrical conductivity
must support loads without breaking strength
cannot be too expensive cost per kg

 One way of selecting the best materials would be to look up values for the important properties in
tables. But this is time-consuming, and a designer may miss materials which they simply forgot to
consider. A better way is to plot 2 material properties on a graph, so that no materials are overlooked -
this kind of graph is called a materials selection chart.
 Once the materials have been chosen, the next step is normally to think about the processing options.
Product Analysis
Choosing the right process:
 It is all very well to choose the perfect material, but somehow we have to make something out of it as
well! An important part of understanding a product is to consider how it was made - in other words
what manufacturing processes were used and why.
 There are 2 important stages to selecting a suitable process:
1) Technical performance: can we make this product with the material and can we make it well?
2) Economics: if we can make it, can we make it cheaply enough?
 Process selection can be quite an involved problem.
So, now we know why the product is designed a particular way, why particular materials are used and why
the particular manufacturing processes have been chosen.
Product Analysis
Finally we understood that,
Product analysis can seem to follow a fixed pattern:
 Think about the design from an ergonomic and functional viewpoint.
 Decide on the materials to fulfil the performance requirements.
 Choose a suitable process that is also economic.
Product Characteristics
Product Characteristics are properties that can be added to the item definition to broaden the depiction of
each product. Examples of Characteristics are Size, Color, Quality, Shape or Weight. These qualities can be
utilized later to channel or inquiry items. There are some aspects of product characteristics:
 Functional aspect - Functional versatility of the product.
 Operational aspect (Ergonomic consideration) - Easy to use or user friendly.
 Ease of maintenance and durability – Easy to repair and long life span.
 Aesthetic aspect - Look matters.
Configuration Design
Configuration Design
Alternative Configuration - parts arrangement
Configuration Design
Alternative Configuration - different parts/features
Configuration Design
Alternative Configuration - different parameters/dimensions
Configuration Design
What is part design?

Physical principle Forces in

equilibrium
Configuration Design
Alternative Configurations
Configuration Design
What is configuration design?

 The phase of product development when we determine the number and type of parts or geometric
features in our design, how they are spatially arranged or interconnected, and approximate relative
dimensions of the parts or features, and develop a list of design variables.

 Configuration design is a kind of design where a fixed set of predefined components that can be
interfaced (connected) in predefined ways is given, and an assembly (i.e. designed artifact) of
components selected from this fixed set is sought that satisfies a set of requirements and obeys a set of
constraints.
Configuration Design
 The associated design configuration problem consists of the following three constituent tasks:

Selection of components,

Allocation of components, and

Interfacing of components (design of ways the components interface/connect with each other).

 Deals with:

Product architecture  the selection and arrangement of components on a product.

Part configuration  the selection and arrangement of features on a part.

Configuration Design
Configuration Decisions: How do we create different configurations?

By changing one or more of these

Adaptive vs Variant vs New Design
What is Adaptive design?

 There are many branches in manufacturing in which development is almost ceased, there is hardly
anything left for a designer to do except adapt and modify existing design (dimension, material, etc.).

 Adaptive design is the process in which the parameters of the existing design or engineering device is
slightly modified to improve quality or to suit a new trend in the market.

 It is normally a responsive design to consumer behavior. In this process, designer makes a minor
modification in existing design or form new member without changing the existing structure of the
product.

 The adaptive design does not require much knowledge or skill, it can be done by the designer of ordinary
technical training. In great majority of instance, designer’s job is to make an adaptive design.

 Examples: Designing of the bicycle, mechanical watch etc.

Adaptive vs Variant vs New Design
What is Development design/Variant Design?

 Variant design also starts from existing design to bring a new idea, though the final product may differ
significantly/moderately from existing design.

 In Variant design, design engineer uses the working principle of one machine on another machine and
bring an entirely new product which may possess good quality in working, size, etc.

 The adopting of new method of manufacturing, or adopting new engineering material are also a reason
for Variant design.

 Variant design demands considerable knowledge and design ability.

 Example: Combining the principle of bicycle and internal combustion engine and develop the
motorcycle, converting mechanical watches to quartz watch, manual gearbox of the car to the automatic
gearbox.
Adaptive vs Variant vs New Design
What is New design/Original design?

 This is also called innovative design.

 When designer develops something that didn’t exist before, then the design is called new design.

 Only a few numbers of designs fall into this category.

 This type of design requires lot of research work and maximum creativity.

 Example: First airplane, first bulb, first telephone etc.

Concurrent Engineering
• Concurrent engineering, also known as simultaneous engineering, is a method of designing and
developing products, in which the different stages run simultaneously, rather than consecutively. It
decreases product development time and also the time to market, leading to improved productivity and
reduced costs.

• Concurrent Engineering is a long term business strategy, with long term benefits to business. Though
initial implementation can be challenging, the competitive advantage means it is beneficial in the long
term. It removes the need to have multiple design reworks, by creating an environment for designing a
product right the first time round.
Concurrent Engineering
 It is 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.

 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.
Concurrent Engineering
Why concurrent engineering?

 Increasing product variety and technical complexity that prolong the product development process and
make it more difficult to predict the impact of design decisions on the functionality and performance of
the final product.

 Increasing global competitive pressure that results from the emerging concept of reengineering.

 The need for rapid response to fast-changing consumer demand and shorter product life cycle.

 Large organizations with several departments working on developing numerous products at the same
time.

 New and innovative technologies emerging at a very high rate, thus causing the new product to be
technological obsolete within a short period.
Concurrent Engineering
Why do companies adopt Concurrent Engineering Methods?

The notable business benefits of concurrent engineering make it a compelling strategy to adopt.
Introducing concurrent engineering can lead to:

 Competitive Advantage - Reduction in time to market means that businesses gain an edge over their
competitors.

 Enhanced Productivity - Earlier discoveries of design problems means potential issues can be corrected
soon, rather than at a later stage in the development process.

• Decrease Design and Development Time - Make products which match their customer’s needs, in less
time and at a reduced cost.
Conventional Product Design Approach
Conventional Product Design Approach

Steps in product development process with serial engineering

Steps in product development process with CE environment

Basic Goals
Basic Goals of Concurrent Engineering are:-

 Dramatic improvements in time to market and costs.

 Improvements to product quality and performance.

 Do more with less.

Characteristics of CE
 Concurrent engineering (CE) has emerged as discipline to help achieve the objectives of reduced cost,
better quality, and improved delivery performance. CE is perceived as a vehicle for change in the way
the products and processes are designed, manufactured, and distributed.

 Concurrent engineering is a management and engineering philosophy for improving quality and reducing
costs and lead time from product conception to product development for new products and product
modifications.

 CE means that the design and development of the product, the associated manufacturing equipment and
processes, and the repair tools and processes are handled concurrently.

 The concurrent engineering idea contrasts sharply with current industry sequential practices, where the
product is first designed and developed, the manufacturing approach is then established and finally the
approach to repair is determined.
The Principles of CE (How it Works?)
In general, CE principle can be divided
into three key factors which can contribute
to time reduction, cost reduction, improve
product quality and fulfil customer’s need.

 People

 Process

 Tools and Technology

The Principles of CE (How it Works?)
People: In the CE approach, utilizing the appropriate human resource at the right time is critical and it
accelerates development by keeping rework to a minimum. To be successful in CE implementation
requires some factors have to be considered as follows:

 Teamwork: Team work is the basic principle of the CE. Teamwork emphasizes interpersonal
relationship, cooperation, negotiation and collaboration decision making. Teamwork is an integral part of
CE, as it represents the means for organizational integration.

 Multidisciplinary teams: CE is based on multidisciplinary product development team.

Multidisciplinary teams, involving experts from all stages of the product development process such as
design, process, production, marketing, manufacturing, etc., are very important in order to succeed in CE
implementation. Multidisciplinary teams can break down the barriers between departments and provide
effective means of communications.
The Principles of CE (How it Works?)
• Communication: Communication is the basic principle for success in CE. Teams will work better if
they know what other members are doing.

• Management Support: The main problem during practicing CE was the commitment of management in
implementing CE. Thus, the lead and support from the top management is important to realize the
implementation of a successful CE.

• The Involvement of Customers and Suppliers: In designing and manufacturing a product, the
integration between the customers, suppliers and manufacturer is essential in determining the success of
a product. This CE principle can reduce a significant portion of design error and rework due to
misunderstandings or miscommunication between the company, the customers, and the suppliers, at the
early stage of product development process.
The Principles of CE (How it Works?)
Process: A key in implementing the CE approach is to have a single well-defined process with clear
ownership and goals. Thus, the process and the related schedule of activities must be based on some basic
principles, as follows:

 Work structure: In general, all activities in product development process must be performed in a
parallel and simultaneous approach. In order to construct a clear work structure or framework, some
factors have to be worked out such as defining and formalizing the CE process, defining overlapping
activities, identifying process ownership and setting goals clearly.

 Early Problem Discovery: Problems which are discovered at the early stage of the product development
process (particularly during the first 20% of the cycle time) are easier to solve than those which are
discovered later.
The Principles of CE (How it Works?)
 Early Decision Making: The window of opportunity to affect a design is much wider during an early
design stage than in a later stage, i.e. when some of the decisions are frozen and the design is matured.

Tools and Technology: An appropriate set of tools and technology should be chosen to help achieve the
maximum benefits which enable integrated product development. For an effective CE implementation to
be accomplished, the use of tools and technology is greatly required. However, there are two aspects which
need to be considered when implementing the tools and technology; firstly, the tools and technology which
enable an effective implementation of CE need to be identified, and secondly, people who will use these
tools and technologies should be trained.

Basic Summary:
 Most important aspect is People.
 Process and Technology: Don’t be afraid of change.
How does CE reduce time?
Real World Example
Titan Linkbit
The application of concurrent engineering for reducing the product development time in a watch-making
firm. By using a horizontal interaction process, overlapping phases of development, carrying frequent
reviews and cross-functional teaming the company reduced the product development cycle time.
Concurrent engineering helped Titan watches to develop watches in a shorter time and increase product
variety through horizontal interactions. These require coordination and cohesive teamwork. The benefits
have been substantial. Competition is inducing every firm to shorten product development time and work
in an integrated manner.
 Old CAD system: 21 weeks to develop 8-layer circuit board.
 Implemented new CAE tools and Concurrent Engineering.
 New circuit board: 12 weeks to develop, 10 layers, twice the functionality of the 8 layer.
Concurrent Engineering
Summarized the results of a survey that include the following improvements to specific product lines by
the applications of concurrent engineering.

 Development and production lead times.

 Measurable quality improvements.

 Engineering process improvements.

 Cost reduction.
Concurrent Engineering
Development and production lead times:

 Product development time reduced up to 60%.

 Production spans reduced 10%.

 AT&T reduced the total process time for the ESS programmed digital switch by 46% in 3 years.

 Deere reduced product development time for construction equipment by 60%.

 ITT reduced the design cycle for an electronic countermeasures system by 33% and its transition-to-
production time by 22%.
Concurrent Engineering
Measurable quality improvements:

 Yield improvements of up to four times.

 Field failure rates reduced up to 83%.

 AT&T reduced defects in the ESS programmed digital switch up to 87% through a coordinated quality
improvement program that included product and process design.

 Deere reduced the number of inspectors by two-thirds through emphasis on process control and linking
the design and manufacturing processes.
Concurrent Engineering
Engineering process improvements:

 Engineering changes per drawing reduced up to 15 times.

 Early production engineering changes reduced by 15%.

 Inventory items stocked reduced up to 60%.

 Engineering prototype builds reduced up to three times.

 Scrap and rework reduced up to 87%.

Concurrent Engineering
Cost reduction:

 McDonnell Douglas had a 60% reduction in life-cycle cost and 40% reduction in production cost on a
short-range missile proposal.

 Boeing reduced a bid on a mobile missile launcher and realized costs 30% to 40% below the bid.

 IBM reduced direct costs in system assembly by 50%.

 ITT saved 25% in ferrite core bonding production costs.

Concurrent Engineering
Summary:

 The customer is consulted during the early product development process; therefore, the product can meet
the expectations of the customer.

 Improved design quality. The lower the number of design changes, the more robust the design of the
product is.

 Reduced product development and design times by listing the voice of the customer and the information
between various departments involved.

 Reduced product cost - reduction in the number of design changes and reduce cost.

 Elimination of delays, reduced design time and effort

 Increasing reliability and customer satisfaction.

Concurrent Engineering
Schemes for CE: CE is the application of a mixture of all following techniques to evaluate the total life-
cycle cost and quality.

 Design for manufacturing guidelines  Computer-aided DFM

 Design science  Group technology
 Design for assembly  Failure-mode and effects analysis
 The Taguchi method for robust design  Value engineering
 Manufacturing process design rules  Quality function deployment
Concurrent Engineering
Benefits:

 Reduces time from design concept by 25% or more.

 Reduces Capital investment by 20% or more.

 Continuous improvement of product quality.

 Increases Product Life Cycle Profitability.

Concurrent Engineering
Summary:

 Concurrent Engineering: Simultaneous development of product and process.

 Most important aspect is communication and formation of teams.

 Management support is vitally important.

 Don’t be afraid to change current processes and technologies.

 Concurrent Engineering = Teamwork.

 The more communication exists, the better the product.

 Balances Needs Customer, Supplier, Engineers, Marketing, and Manufacturing needs.