Be Lazy: A Motto for New Concurrent Engineering

Abstract

This paper is a position paper to point out that concurrent engineering is entering its 3^rd generation. 1^st generation concurrent engineering was proposed in 1989 when DICE project started. The primary purpose of the 1^st generation was how effectively we can reduce time to market. Their only concern was time and “earlier and faster” were the keywords then.

Then 2^nd generation concurrent engineering came. We became aware that if we really have to process things in a concurrent way, we have to discuss at a strategic level. The tactical discussion would not solve the problem. That was what we found out after many years of practicing concurrent engineering. The primary task in 2^nd generation concurrent engineering was how we can set a strategic goal across all different development processes. To achieve this, communication and collaboration became essential. So some researchers, including myself, called this 2^nd generation concurrent engineering “collaborative engineering”.

Now, we are entering 3^rd generation. With the growing diversification of customers and with our traditional markets going out, we have to consider every constraint as soft and negotiable. In short, our 3^rd generation concurrent engineering is “negotiable engineering”. Everything is put on a negotiable basis. There are no more fixed dimensions. Everything changes in a dimension and sometimes the number of dimension itself changes. Our way of solving the problem changed to constraint-driven from our traditional way of goal-driven.

This paper describes how concurrent engineering changed with time and what will be our new challenges in our 3^rd generation concurrent engineering.