MIAE 380 (Midterm)-Ques ons and answers | Updated
Rated A+ | 2026
Design intent/goal
to develop a reliable product in terms for func onality, manufacturing, assembly, and servicing
Changes in compe ve environment (6)
- Rapidly evolving technologies
- Complex products
- Consumer demands
- Time to market (TTM - Quicker product delivery to marketplace cri cal for profits but must not
compromise on quality to meet demands)
- Cost compe veness
- Global trends (Less government regula ons, Globaliza on of companies eg Mergers &
acquisi ons may mean development sites geographically separated, Shared R&D resources may
mean dispersed design centers, Outsourcing, Global collabora on may mean project
distribu on)
Strategic Plan Steps (6)
1. Iden fy company mission
2. Iden fy strengths, weaknesses & long-range business objec ves
3. Select market segment to pursue
4. Formalize process for product selec on for development
5. Select product and iden fy strategic and tac cal issues that must be resolved
6. Project financial returns from selected markets and products
Cons of tradi onal design process (5) and result
- Limited communica on btwn deps
- Minimal understanding of customer reqs
- Loosely defined guidelines/process
- Missing 'Lessons Learnt' database integra on
- Customer Support Business and other staff only see design at design review stage - almost
complete → Any revisions resul ng from design reviews costly, difficult to implement, me
consuming ∴ par ally or not implemented
,⇒ RESULT = DELAYED MARKET ENTRY
Concurrent Engineering Approach
Design approach that merges product design & manufacturing - based on the paralleliza on of
tasks (i.e. concurrently) in order to reduce me to market
ADempt to balance 3 Key Factors: Good, Cheap, Quick
3 Characteris cs of Concurrent Engineering
1. Decentralized Design
- Concurrent work creates cross-func onal teams with ght link btwn all par cipants in dev
process
- Manufacturing and assembly considered in early stages of product design
2. Compliance with Customer and Internal Requirements
- Customers = all stakeholders (e.g. for aircraF manufacturers - airlines, airports, regulators,
maintenance crews, pilot, passenger, investors, team members)
- Provides methods for ra ng importance of specific product features using customer input;
then compared to compe ve products
3. Design for Manufacturing, Assembly, and Service
- Priori zes ease and speed with which product can be assembled, tested, and repaired
6 Benefits of Concurrent Engineering
1. Reduced development me due to less rework from intermiDent mul disciplinary reviews
- Reps from diff groups can beDer consider trade-offs & design choices as each decision is made
- Fewer engineering/late changes
2. Quicker Time-To-Market ⇒ higher profits
3. More accurate cost es mates
4. Higher quality product in terms of manufacturability, assembly, and serviceability
5. More aligned product with customer + internal requirements
, 6. Higher produc vity
- Emphasis on problem solving (not placing blame on other group for mistakes)
When not to choose Concurrent Engineering and why?
- When product is simple or incremental change is marginal
- CE difficult and requires admin + communica on overhead + effort to change company culture
How to Succeed with Concurrent Engineering (7)
1. Create cross-func onal teams + design concurrently w product
- Communica on between teams is crucial
2. Improve communica on system w customer
- Using shared plaMorm, reviews, etc
3. Involve suppliers + subcontractors early
- Don't want to design a product that's impossible to produce
4. Simulate product & process performance
- Integrate CAD tools with product model
5. Integrate technical reviews
- Eliminate complexity for complexity's sake, keep it simple and low cost
- Design trade-offs carefully analyzed for performance characteris cs vs design vs cost goals vs
producibility
6. Incorporate "Lessons Learned"
- Use team knowledge to ensure things done right first me
7. Con nuously improve the design process
- Look at processes as a whole and engineer small changes constantly using measurement and
analysis
5 Stages of CE (5)
1. Project Iden fica on
Goal:Ensure single direc on for corporate development to avoid shiFing priori es, false project
starts, and pre-empted project efforts
Rated A+ | 2026
Design intent/goal
to develop a reliable product in terms for func onality, manufacturing, assembly, and servicing
Changes in compe ve environment (6)
- Rapidly evolving technologies
- Complex products
- Consumer demands
- Time to market (TTM - Quicker product delivery to marketplace cri cal for profits but must not
compromise on quality to meet demands)
- Cost compe veness
- Global trends (Less government regula ons, Globaliza on of companies eg Mergers &
acquisi ons may mean development sites geographically separated, Shared R&D resources may
mean dispersed design centers, Outsourcing, Global collabora on may mean project
distribu on)
Strategic Plan Steps (6)
1. Iden fy company mission
2. Iden fy strengths, weaknesses & long-range business objec ves
3. Select market segment to pursue
4. Formalize process for product selec on for development
5. Select product and iden fy strategic and tac cal issues that must be resolved
6. Project financial returns from selected markets and products
Cons of tradi onal design process (5) and result
- Limited communica on btwn deps
- Minimal understanding of customer reqs
- Loosely defined guidelines/process
- Missing 'Lessons Learnt' database integra on
- Customer Support Business and other staff only see design at design review stage - almost
complete → Any revisions resul ng from design reviews costly, difficult to implement, me
consuming ∴ par ally or not implemented
,⇒ RESULT = DELAYED MARKET ENTRY
Concurrent Engineering Approach
Design approach that merges product design & manufacturing - based on the paralleliza on of
tasks (i.e. concurrently) in order to reduce me to market
ADempt to balance 3 Key Factors: Good, Cheap, Quick
3 Characteris cs of Concurrent Engineering
1. Decentralized Design
- Concurrent work creates cross-func onal teams with ght link btwn all par cipants in dev
process
- Manufacturing and assembly considered in early stages of product design
2. Compliance with Customer and Internal Requirements
- Customers = all stakeholders (e.g. for aircraF manufacturers - airlines, airports, regulators,
maintenance crews, pilot, passenger, investors, team members)
- Provides methods for ra ng importance of specific product features using customer input;
then compared to compe ve products
3. Design for Manufacturing, Assembly, and Service
- Priori zes ease and speed with which product can be assembled, tested, and repaired
6 Benefits of Concurrent Engineering
1. Reduced development me due to less rework from intermiDent mul disciplinary reviews
- Reps from diff groups can beDer consider trade-offs & design choices as each decision is made
- Fewer engineering/late changes
2. Quicker Time-To-Market ⇒ higher profits
3. More accurate cost es mates
4. Higher quality product in terms of manufacturability, assembly, and serviceability
5. More aligned product with customer + internal requirements
, 6. Higher produc vity
- Emphasis on problem solving (not placing blame on other group for mistakes)
When not to choose Concurrent Engineering and why?
- When product is simple or incremental change is marginal
- CE difficult and requires admin + communica on overhead + effort to change company culture
How to Succeed with Concurrent Engineering (7)
1. Create cross-func onal teams + design concurrently w product
- Communica on between teams is crucial
2. Improve communica on system w customer
- Using shared plaMorm, reviews, etc
3. Involve suppliers + subcontractors early
- Don't want to design a product that's impossible to produce
4. Simulate product & process performance
- Integrate CAD tools with product model
5. Integrate technical reviews
- Eliminate complexity for complexity's sake, keep it simple and low cost
- Design trade-offs carefully analyzed for performance characteris cs vs design vs cost goals vs
producibility
6. Incorporate "Lessons Learned"
- Use team knowledge to ensure things done right first me
7. Con nuously improve the design process
- Look at processes as a whole and engineer small changes constantly using measurement and
analysis
5 Stages of CE (5)
1. Project Iden fica on
Goal:Ensure single direc on for corporate development to avoid shiFing priori es, false project
starts, and pre-empted project efforts
