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.
Introduction
Traditionally, design and manufacturing have been separate engineering departments. The trend today has been to combine these functions and form design teams. This systems approach to product design has led to reduced lead times and reduced problems in manufacturing.
One of the resulting major changes to manufacturing philosophy in embodied in a process called concurrent engineering. The design stage of concurrent engineering is sometimes called concurrent design. Concurrent engineering may be defined as:
A systematic approach to integrated, simultaneous design of products and their related processes, including manufacturing and support.
Thus, concurrent engineering is a paradigm shift away from serial or sequential engineering, to a process where all relevant departments are involved in the design process from the very beginning. This interaction should compress the development cycle and reduce the time-to-market for a new product.
Factors such as global competition and ever-faster-changing consumer demands have placed new challenges on manufacturers.
