Demystification of concurrent engineering

Much has been said about Concurrent Engineering (CE) and what is meant by it. However, there still seems to be a great deal of confusion about the concept of concurrent engineering and how it may be applied. Some consider CE to be the application of design methodologies, some the application of team work, and some consider it as a holistic philosophy with good working practices. This paper presents a clear cut and accurate definition of concurrent engineering, as applied in industry, as its starting point; defines and explains the necessary conditions under which Ce is possible; and hence clarifies its principles, providing evidence from current industrial practices from European and Japanese product development processes. The paper then establishes the minimum requirements for concurrent engineering and metrics to quantify it in practice, and most importantly the role of technology in CE