Definition
Concurrent engineering, also known as simultaneous engineering, is a non-linear product or project design approach during which all phases of manufacturing operate at the same time - simultaneously. Both product and process design run in parallel and occur in the same time frame. Product and process are closely coordinated to achieve optimal matching of requirements for effective cost, quality, and delivery. Decision making involves full team participation and involvement. The team often consists of product design engineers, manufacturing engineers, marketing personnel, purchasing, finance, and suppliers.
Concurrent engineering techniques can be used to compress time in the product development cycle, and business cycles in general. Every business has basic cycles that govern the way that paper is processed, parts are manufactured, and decisions are made. They may be documented in the form of procedures or routings. Examples of business cycles are customer order, product development, production, and procurement.
Cycles are sequences of recurring successions of processes or events. The cycle time is the time from the beginning of the first step of the process until the beginning of the first step of the next process. Processes can be decomposed into smaller activities. Traditionally those activities may be performed in a sequential manner. In this situation each step is completed before the next one begins. The goal in compressing time is not to devise the best way to perform a task, but rather to either eliminate the task altogether or perform it parallel with other tasks so that the overall system response time is reduced.
Long sequential strings of cycles make up the mainstream order flow and contribute to long throughput times. Poor physical logistics worsen the time delays. Mainstream value-add activities are identified on flow process charts. Flow process charts are analyzed for activities that delay mainstream activities. Delays can be moves, slow operations, inspections, as well as waiting time. Cutting cycle times fifty percent per established period of time is a good goal. The process is continuous.
Extending this approach to the office and focusing in on the mainstream activities that add value is key. Each of the steps can be further decomposed into smaller activities. By providing the output, such as transferring information, from smaller activities much sooner to the subsequent smaller activities, time can be compressed.
The Issues
Concurrent engineering requires the redesign of the organization into cross-functional teams. Functional walls and colloquial thinking can prevent this from occurring realizing benefits if the company is not prepared for organizational change. Resistance to change may occur. Management will need to prepare the organization by building a case for organizational change and devising a program to address cultural issues.
Just like anything else, concurrent engineering is no panacea, nor should it be embraced as a religion. It is an operational tool that, if implemented properly, will provide a new dimension to competing: quickly introducing new customerized high quality products and delivering them with unprecedented lead times, swift decisions, and manufacturing products with high velocity.
Pragmatic Applications
Concurrent engineering is an excellent tool to use in improving productivity and inducing velocity within an operation. It can reduce the time-to-market, engineering times in general, overall throughput time, and costs. It can be applied to a variety of circumstances where operations are performed in sequence and contribute to excessive lead times.
Our Approach: Tools from a Toolchest
Rockford Consulting Group applies concepts and technologies as the situation warrants, that will result in the ultimate benefit to our clients. We treat strategies, technologies, and methodologies as tools in a toolchest, and use them when they offer practical solutions and achievable results. We believe that each client situation is unique, with its own unique set of solutions. (Please see our business process reengineering consulting services BPR Consulting Services)
Why Us?
Rockford Consulting Group can provide long-term assistance to many companies in a variety of industries. The firm has a cadre of the best supply chain consultants in the world today, providing high quality professionalism through the use of experience and innovation.
We subscribe to the Institute of Management Consultants Code of Professional Conduct. All consultants engaged on projects adhere to its principles. Whenever possible we will use consultants certified in their particular specialty area. Certification assures that consultants have substantial prior experience in their specialty, and their competencies have been tested by the IMC, and verified by a number of clients. This assures our clients that we are assigning the highest qualified consultants in the profession.
We provide technical expertise, team facilitation, leadership, and direction in deciding how you will meet the challenge. We refer you to our Qualification Statement for further details on our background, areas of specialization, concepts and technologies applied, staffing, operating policy, approach, companies and industries served, case studies and references. Equally as important, we train our clients to sustain new methods of manufacturing and the consequential benefits over time. Your company will benefit directly from this training.
We have achieved an efficiency in our approach to assignments that allows us to provide high quality technical and managerial advice in a much shorter amount of time than could be accomplished years ago. We are able to do this because of the extensive consulting experience that each of our specialists has.
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