Concurrent Engineering Developed by: Robert Wyant Penn State University This slide presentation was prepared by a student in the Quality Management course at Penn State University.

What Will Be Covered Concurrent Engineering Defined Brainstorming Nuts and Bolts How It Works Example of Concurrent Engineering An Exercise The presentation will be a training exercise about the topic of Concurrent Engineering. This slide outlines the slides to follow. Nuts and Bolts is the explanation of the tool.

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 is the two disciples of product and process design working together to save time and resolve problems quickly.

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. Another definition for concurrent engineering. This one specifically mentions the ideal nature of Concurrent Engineering to resolve problems quickly.

Brainstorming Brainstorm some ideas about Concurrent Engineering How can this tool be used in your organization? Have the trainees brainstorm some ideas….how can instituting Concurrent Engineering help your organization?

Nuts and Bolts 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 goal of any organization which institutes CE. Experts report that the majority of manufacturing companies today are using CE and continually seeing improvement.

Nuts and Bolts 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.

Nuts and Bolts Concurrent Engineering = Teamwork -The more communication exists, the better the product. Balances Needs -Customer, Supplier, Engineers, Marketing, and Manufacturing needs. Almost by definition, CE is about teamwork. Communication is vitally important between all participating members and the more ideas that come together, the better the product, and profit, will ultimately be. Another important factor in CE is the balancing of needs…between customer, suppliers, engineers, marketing, and manufacturing.

Nuts and Bolts 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.

How it Works 3 Main Areas to Concurrent Engineering 1) People 2) Process 3) Technology Most experts who analyze CE say that these 3 areas, People, Process, and Technology are the 3 main areas needed to successfully implement CE. All of these areas require thought and rethinking. Each area will be observed in detail on the following slides.

How It Works Area 1: People -Formation of teams -Training Anyone who comes in contact with, or is affected by, the product in question should be involved on the team. These teams usually include engineers, analysts, manufacturers, personnel, customers, and suppliers. 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 -Be open to change 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. 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 -Software. Hardware, and Networking It’s very hard, if not impossibly, to fine a CE firm that does not utilize computer-aided drafting or computer-aided manufacturing. Like the processes however, be willing to change your software system if a more pervasive one comes along. 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.

Real World Example Titan Linkabit -Develops circuit boards - CAE technical manager, Chip Ciradot Titan Linkabit, a company that develops and builds circuit boards, is a good example of what CE can do for a firm. The new technical manager at Titan Linabit is Chip Ciradot.

Real World Example Titan Linkabit -Old CAD system: 21 weeks to develop 8-layer circuit board. -Implemented new CAE tools and CE -New circuit board: 12 weeks to develop, 10 layers, twice the functionality of the 8 layer. Titan Linkbit developed a 8 layer circuit board over the course of 21 weeks. After implementing new tools in CE, the firm began a new process to develop a 10 layer circuit board with twice the functionality of the old board. With the new processes in place, this new board took only 12 weeks to develop.

A Short Exercise Come up with some ideas as to how implementing Concurrent Engineering could be useful in your organization? How will you form teams? Open communication? Change processes? Implement technology?

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 The basic thing to remember is that CE will allow you to simultaneously design your product and your process. It will allow you to solve problems quickly and at a fraction of the price. The most important aspect of CE is the people involved, the teams they form, and the communication between members. Management support helps the communication to move and keeps the group focused on the task at hand. Another important thing to remember is to not be afraid of change. Your current processes may not be appropriate for CE, so be willing to update your ideas

Bibliography Foster, S. Thomas. Managing Quality: An Integrative Approach. Upper Saddle River New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. Izuchukwu, John. “Architecture and Process :The Role of Integrated Systems in Concurrent Engineering.” Industrial Management Mar/Apr 1992: p. 19-23. Litsikas, Mary. “Break Old Boundaries with Concurrent Engineering.” Quality Apr 1997: p. 54-56. Mills, Robert. “Concurrent engineering: Alive and well.” CAE. Aug 1993: p. 41-44