Concurrent engineering

Concurrent engineering, also called concurrent design and manufacturing, simultaneous engineering or integrated product development, is a work methodology that runs the tasks of product development in parallel rather than one after another. Design engineering, manufacturing engineering and other functions are integrated, usually through an integrated product team, so that the time needed to bring a new product to market is reduced and cost can fall. The approach rests on two ideas: every element of the product life cycle, from function and production through assembly, testing, maintenance, environmental impact, disposal and recycling, should be weighed in the earliest design phases, and design activities should happen at the same time with all disciplines involved. It demands extensive communication and coordination, and a poorly implemented version can cause problems. It has been adopted by companies, organizations and universities, most notably in aerospace, was adapted from the early 1990s for information and content automation, and is used for mission feasibility studies at the European Space Agency Concurrent Design Facility.