Concurrent Engineering: A Partnership Approach

There is an increasing focus on product development in engineering education. This change is a response to the need for engineering graduates to be able to provide immediate and tangible benefit to manufacturing companies in an era of heightened competitiveness. The focus on integrative product development aspects in the manufacturing process have been termed concurrent or simultaneous engineering, a focus which echoes long-standing themes in product development practices.1’lz Nevertheless, presenting these ideas in undergraduate engineering education calls for a departure from the usual content and pedagogical approaches.