Realigning the manufacturing priorities of SMEs as a result of the 2008 UK economic downturn

This study provides consideration of the impact made by the uncertain business environment experienced in recent times in the UK on manufacturing priorities within its SME sector. This uncertainty centres on the economy’s volatility during the recessionary period from 2008 onwards. A consequence of this is a realignment of manufacturing priorities, initiated by senior management within in the sector, accounting for sectoral conditions and associated market response. The study is based on a mixed methods research strategy, comprising a survey of 104 UK-based manufacturing SMEs and 17 interviewees with senior employees from these participating organisations. The study contributes to existing knowledge by building upon existing theoretical constructs of manufacturing strategy, specific to the manufacturing sector, and establishing a realignment of associated priorities around cost, flexibility, delivery performance and quality

A review of concurrent engineering

This paper attempts to explain and disaggregate different focuses of concurrent engineering, analyzing their application to product development and highlighting the improvements involved in their enforcement. Improvements can be observed in projects (quality), in scheduling (reducing the duration) and the cost of implementation (savings), basic achievements of concurrent engineering. Companies that already apply concurrent engineering are often multinationals, being the majority group in use. Its implementation in medium and small businesses is a very useful and achievable goal, in a field that has not developed the methodology. The entire organization (human group) is involved in the implementation of concurrent engineering, with an effort aimed at multifunctional integration and development of both product and process concurrently.Juárez Varón, D.; Peydro, MA.; Mengual Recuerda, A.; Ferrándiz Bou, S. (2015). A review of concurrent engineering. Annals of The University of Oradea. Fascicle of Management and Technological Engineering. (3):94-97. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/65944S9497

Concurrent engineering applied to key industrial sectors

The use of advanced techniques in work, such as concurrent engineering, on the development of projects implies that all areas involved participate from the start of the primary phases. Getting a correct product is the main target, with an estimated term and controlled and reduced costs. Working with a complex product within a context in design and manufacturing in a company in a highly competitive market, involves the problem domain as a key issue. In this paper, the development of concurrent engineering is discussed in various industrial sectors, complex sectors with high competence, that require tools and a vision aimed towards the optimization of design and development of the products that are carried out in these industrial sectors.Juárez Varón, D.; Segui Llinares, VJ.; Mengual Recuerda, A.; Ferrándiz Bou, S. (2015). Concurrent engineering applied to key industrial sectors. Annals of The University of Oradea. Fascicle of Management and Technological Engineering. (3):81-84. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/659468184

An Introduction to Concurrent Engineering

[EN] The purpose of this paper is to introduce and analyze the meaning of concurrent engineering, explaining the improvements in the product development process which it represents. Concurrent engineering allows achieving improvements in the quality of projects, reduce their duration and total cost. While multinational companies are major users, the challenge is to implement it in small or medium-sized enterprises, which have not yet developed this methodology. Concurrent engineering involves everyone in the organization, emphasizing the multifunctional integration and concurrent development of a product and its associated processes.[ES] El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar y analizar el significado de la ingeniería concurrente, explicando las mejoras en el proceso de desarrollo de productos que ésta supone. La ingeniería concurrente permite lograr mejoras en la calidad de los proyectos, reducir la duración de los mismos y su coste total. Aunque las empresas multinacionales son los grandes usuarios, el reto estriba en ponerlo en marcha en las empresas medianas o pequeñas, donde todavía no han desarrollado esta metodología. La ingeniería concurrente implica a todas las personas de la organización, destacando la integración multifuncional y el desarrollo concurrente de un producto y sus procesos asociados.Juárez Varón, D.; Guerrero Martínez, C.; Torres Roca, E.; Sanz Buades, V. (2014). Introducción a la ingeniería concurrente. 3C Tecnología. 3(2):78-86. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/77691S78863

Application of concurrent engineering in product and process design

Traditional methods applied to the development of new products are becoming obsolete, being necessary advanced methods based on a new approach that allows work cooperatively. This is called Concurrent Engineering and this paper intends to carry out a review of the integration of this discipline in the new ways of working. The main objective of the new forms of work is to systematize the design by interdisciplinary teams simultaneously working the products, the processes, getting the right design, with a corresponding reduction in costs and time. The introduction of CAPP systems (Computer Aided Process Planning) facilitates process design tools. Therefore, some previous work incorporating such systems are included.Juárez Varón, D.; Segui Llinares, VJ.; Mengual Recuerda, A.; Ferrándiz Bou, S. (2015). Application of concurrent engineering in product and process design. Annals of The University of Oradea. Fascicle of Management and Technological Engineering. (3):77-80. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/65945S7780

Industrial applications of Concurrent Engineering

[EN] Concurrent engineering requires that all stakeholders participate in the project since the beginning of the first phase. The main objective is to get the right product at the estimated time and with reduced costs. It is important to domain the problem in the context of a complex product, designed and manufactured in a company and working in a highly competitive market. This article describes the evolution of concurrent engineering and its application in different industrial sectors is analyzed: aeronautics, automotive and naval, due to their competence and complexity, which require tools and approaches to optimization in design and product development.[ES] La ingeniería concurrente exige que todos los actores involucrados en el proyecto se participen desde el comienzo de las primeras fases. El principal objetivo es conseguir el producto correcto en el tiempo estimado y con costes reducidos. Es importante el dominio del problema en el contexto de un producto complejo, diseñado y fabricado en una empresa y trabajando en un mercado altamente competitivo. En este artículo se analiza la evolución de la ingeniería concurrente y su aplicación a varios sectores industriales: aeronáutico, automoción y naval, que por complejidad y competencia requieren de herramientas y enfoques que permitan una optimización en el diseño y desarrollo de sus productos.Juárez Varón, D.; Guerrero Martínez, C.; Torres Roca, E.; Sanz Buades, V. (2014). Aplicaciones industriales de la ingeniería concurrente. 3C Tecnología. 3(2):111-122. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/77695S1111223

Ingeniería concurrente aplicada al sector del calzado. Caso práctico

[EN] Concurrent engineering has its greatest application in multinational companies, which are major users and raised focused on making improvements in the quality of projects, reducing their duration and total cost. The challenge is to implement it in small or medium-sized enterprises, which has not yet developed this methodology, considering it involves everyone in the organization, emphasizing the multifunctional integration and concurrent development of a product and its associated processes. The purpose of this article is to expose the benefits of concurrent engineering applied to the footwear industry through a case study.[ES] La ingeniería concurrente tiene su máxima aplicación en las empresas multinacionales, que son las grandes usuarias, y que se plantean como principal objetivo lograr mejoras en la calidad de los proyectos, reducir la duración de los mismos y su coste total.Rodríguez Villalobos, A.; Sempere Ripoll, MF.; Juárez Varón, D.; Mengual Recuerda, A. (2014). Ingeniería concurrente aplicada al sector del calzado. Caso práctico. 3c Tecnologia. 3(4):211-233. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/48155S2112333

Modelling for data management & exchange in Concurrent Engineering - A case study of civil aircraft assembly line

This research aims to improve the dataflow performance of the Concurrent Engineering (CE) practice in the detail design stage of the aircraft Assembly Line (AL) in the C919 aircraft project. As the final integrator of the aircraft, Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company Ltd. (SAMC) is responsible for developing the AL with global suppliers. Although CE has been implemented in AL projects to shorten lead time, reduce development cost and improve design quality, the lack of experience and insufficient infrastructure may lead to many challenges in cooperation with distributed suppliers, especially regarding data management/exchange and workflow control. In this research, the particular CE environment and activities in SAMC AL projects were investigated. By assessing the CE performance and benchmarking, the improvement opportunities are identified, and then an activity-oriented workflow and dataflow model is established by decomposing the work process to detail levels. Based on this model, a Product Data Management (PDM) based support platform is proposed to facilitate data management/exchange in dynamic workflow to improve work efficiency and interoperability. This solution is mocked-up on the Siemens Teamcenter 8.1 PLM(Product Lifecycle Management) software and its feasibility is checked. The mock-up is evaluated by SAMC experts and suppliers. The feedback shows the acceptance of the model by experts and the urgency of improving data/work flow design before PLM implementing. The result of this research is useful for enterprises in similar environments transiting from pre-PLM to implementing PLM and who wanting to strengthen CE in the new product development

Agile Manufacturing: an evolutionary review of practices

Academics and practitioners have long acknowledged the importance of agile manufacturing and related supply chains in achieving firm sustainable competitiveness. However, limited, if any, research has focused on the evolution of practices within agile manufacturing supply chains and how these are related to competitive performance objectives. To address this gap, we reviewed the literature on agile manufacturing drawing on evolution of manufacturing agility, attributes of agile manufacturing, the drivers of agile manufacturing, and the identification of the enabling competencies deployable for agile manufacturing. Our thesis is that agile manufacturing is at the centre of achieving sustainable competitive advantage, especially in light of current unprecedented market instability coupled with complex customer requirements. In this regard, the emphasis which agile manufacturing places on responsive adaptability would counter the destabilising influence of competitive pressures on organisations performance criteria. We have identified five enabling competencies as the agility enablers and practices of agile manufacturing, that is, transparent customisation, agile supply chains, intelligent automation, total employee empowerment and technology integration, and further explored their joint deployment to create positive multiplier effects. Future research directions were also provided with respect to operationalisation of the five identified enablers and the potential for emergent technologies of big data, blockchain, and Internet of Things to shape future agile manufacturing practices