Understanding concurrent engineering implementation: a case-study approach

Concurrent engineering is a widely recognized approach to improving product introduction and it is therefore key that its implementation is understood. This paper augments the existing understanding of concurrent engineering implementations by using a case-study approach. The benefits of this are reviewed and the results of nine industrial case-studies are presented. An amalgamated picture of the results of both research approaches is used to highlight how concurrent engineering may be more widely implemented. In the course of the examination, a vocabulary to enable a common understanding of concurrent engineering was developed and this is also presented in this paper.