Concurrent engineering is a product development method that uses parallel processes to save time and costs. It allows for simultaneous design and analysis, emphasizes teamwork, and requires ongoing review. While it offers benefits, it requires organizational restructuring and worker retraining, and may require additional monitoring software applications. It has been successfully implemented by various organizations, including Polaroid, Boeing, NASA, and General Electric.
Concurrent engineering is a method used in product development. It differs from the traditional product development approach in that it employs concurrent rather than sequential processes. By completing tasks in parallel, product development can be accomplished more efficiently and with significant cost savings.
Rather than completing all of the physical production of a prototype before performing any tests, concurrent engineering allows design and analysis to occur simultaneously and multiple times before actual implementation. This multidisciplinary approach emphasizes teamwork through the use of cross-functional teams and allows employees to work collaboratively on all aspects of a project from start to finish.
Also known as an iterative development method, concurrent engineering requires ongoing review of a team’s progress and frequent review of project plans. The rationale behind this creative and forward-thinking approach is that the sooner mistakes are discovered, the easier and cheaper it is to correct them. People who use this method say it offers many benefits, including higher product quality for the end user, faster product development time, and lower costs for both producer and consumer.
There are some drawbacks associated with the initial implementation of concurrent engineering, including the need for considerable organizational restructuring and extensive worker retraining. Such potentially disruptive changes and additional work requirements can be met with resistance from managers and other employees. Furthermore, there are usually significant difficulties in transferring data between employees in different departments, which may require additional monitoring software applications. Beyond these significant upfront investments, organizations pursuing a concurrent engineering work model typically have to wait several years before seeing the benefits of this transition.
Concurrent engineering can be applied to any industry and by organizations of various sizes. Polaroid, Boeing, NASA, and the European Space Agency are among the best-known entities that have successfully implemented such programs. In one notable example, General Electric employees were able to reduce the design time associated with several aircraft engine components by approximately 19 weeks through the use of concurrent engineering.
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