Balbontin-Posadas, Alejandro (2000) CETGI : an assessment tool for global concurrent engineering : executive summary. EngD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Industrial globalisation and the increased complexity of products promote new product development (NPD) by distributed teams. These teams facilitate the transfer of designs to manufacturing facilities, the adaptation of products to local markets and the access to engineering design talents. However, there are many industrial experiences of under performing distributed teams, such as the development of the Ford Mondeo which ran a year late and cost £4 billion. This Engineering Doctorate project CETGI (Concurrent Engineering and Teamwork across Global Industries) aimed to investigate and advise companies on the enabling practices of global concurrent engineering (GCE). An assessment tool for GCE was developed, embedding its enabling practices in a knowledge base and providing structured advice to manufacturing companies of electro-mechanical products. Preliminary investigation was conducted towards the development of the CETGI tool: literature review on GCE; a benchmark study of nine current concurrent engineering assessment tools; a comparative analysis of NPD practices in the UK and the USA; a survey of NPD practices of global companies developing products in the UK; and thirteen case studies of GCE projects. The CETGI tool was then developed, consisting of an assessment process involving multifunctional teams and executives. CETGI is different to previous tools because of its knowledge base of GCE practices and its three analytical algorithms: the first, aggregates the individual answers; the second, provides a customised list of prioritised actions; and the third, generates maturity charts, providing a performance perspective and supporting benchmarking. Another novel feature of CETGI is the Internet enabled software application that supports its assessment process. The latter software is a multi-participant decision-making support system. The CETGI tool has been applied to three first tier supplier companies, two from the automotive industry and one from the transport industry aimed at fine-tuning and validating the tool. The work focused on evaluating the reliability of the questionnaire (constructed on the knowledge base) and establishing the validity and the industrial usefulness of the CETGI tool. On average, the NPD executives considered 90% of the suggested actions appropriate, selected 70% of the actions for implementation and implemented 51% of the selected actions (based on a post-assessment review at one company). The actions were estimated to reduce time-to-market and product-unit costs by the NPD executives and they rated CETGI highest in terms of promoting global product development, followed by providing an overall picture of the current product development process. Further research opportunities have been identified such as using the CETGI tool to assess other business areas apart from GCE. This would require investigating best practices in these areas and embedding the results in specific knowledge bases. The assessment method, the structure of the knowledge base and the analytical algorithms would remain the same.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (EngD)
Subjects:	T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	New products -- Computer programs, Concurrent engineering -- Computer programs, Concurrent engineering -- Case studies, Electromechanical devices -- Design and construction
Date:	October 2000
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	School of Engineering
Thesis Type:	EngD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Yazdani, Baback ; Jennings, Paul Anthony, 1964- ; Passey, Stuart
Sponsors:	Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Mexico) (CONACYT)
Extent:	vii, 113 leaves
Language:	eng
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/4505

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