CONCURRENT ENGINEERING

Concurrent Engineering (CE), also known as Design for Manufacturing (DFM), intends to integrate and combine product development and production in the early stages of product development. This management approach is focusing on a simultaneous development of products and production processes, so that products can be effectively produced, and so that product development takes the strengths and limitations of the company's production processes into account during the design of the product. According to Foster S. Thomas (2001), concurrent engineering 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.

While, Izuchukwu, John (1992), claimed that 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. Therefore, Concurrent Engineering tries to enhance the "produceability" of new products, so that the production department is able to produce the product, and so that the production department may know which competencies may be needed in the production of the respective product.

Market share and profitability are the major determinants of the success of any organization. The factors that influence and improve the competitive edge of a company are unit cost of products, quality, and lead time. 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.

Concurrent engineering used a systematic approach to integrate the design of products and their related processes, including manufacture and support. This approach is intended to cause the developers from the outset, to consider all elements of the product life cycle from conception to disposal, including quality, cost, schedule, and user requirements. Flowchart below illustrates the differences between concurrent engineering and serial or sequential engineering.

Serial or Sequential Engineering

Concurrent Engineering

             

Traditional Process = Linear

Vs

Concurrent Engineering = Team collaboration

Concurrent engineering has advantages compared to serial engineering. First, it could increases the 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. Second, it may increase the global competitive pressure that results from the emerging concept of reengineering due to the need for rapid response to fast-changing consumer demand and the need for shorter product life cycle. Third, concurrent engineering can facilitate large organizations with several departments working on developing numerous products at the same time. As a result, new and innovative technologies emerging at a very high rate, thus causing the new product to be technological obsolete within a short period.

A characteristic curve representing cost incurred and committed during the product

life cycle

Summarized the results of a survey that include the following improvements to specific product

lines by the applications of concurrent engineering.

1. Development and production lead times

2. Measurable quality improvements

3. Engineering process improvements

4. Cost reduction

1. 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 by60%.

·          ITT reduced the design cycle for an electronic countermeasures system by33% and its

transition-to-production time by 22%.

2. Measurable quality improvements

·         Yield improvements up to four times.

·          Field failure rates reduced up to 83%.

·          AT&T achieved a fourfold reduction in variability in a polysilicon deposition process for very large scale integrated circuits and achieved nearly two orders of magnitude reduction in surface defects.

·         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.

3. 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%.

4. 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.

In conclusion, the customer is consulted during the early product development process; therefore, the product can meet the expectations of the customer. Concurrent engineering may lead in improving design quality. The lower the number of design changes, the more robust the design of the product is. Concurrent engineering also reduced product development and design times by listing the voice of the customer and the information between various departments involved. In addition, concurrent engineering reduced product cost - reduction in the number of design changes and reduce cost. Furthermore, it eliminate delays of time, once the design time and effort is reduced it can increase reliability and customer satisfaction.

References:

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