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
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
