CONCURRENT ENGINEERING: What it is and what it is not

 

Presented by Dr. William J. Bellows

 

Web page by Vicki Smith Breeding & Phil Rosenkrantz. Photography by Phil Rosenkrantz

BACKGROUND

Dr. William J. Bellows is the Process Leader for Continuous Improvement at Boeing's Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power business unit in Canoga Park, CA. where he reports to the vice president and general manager. He provides expert consulting, facilitation, and instruction in the implementation of continuous improvement activities. Dr. Bellows also serves as an adjunct professor of "Quality Management" at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

 

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The following web summary was extracted from Dr. Bellow's presentation and is not intended to reflect his remarks in their entirety.

INTRODUCTION

Question: What is a football score a function of?

Audience Responses: Field condition, strategy, strength.

Dr. Bellows adds: "Based on the LA Times the day after the Superbowl game, it looks like it is a function of John Elway. We tend to see only John Elway instead of the names of those who blocked for him--enabling the running backs to be effective and him to complete passes. The same approach applies to the example of an airplane. Which is the most important part? According to whom?"

The Point: Everything is part of a system. Concurrent engineering recognizes this important truth as the starting point. The goal is to get all parts of the system functioning to improve the overall system's performance.

WHAT IS CONCURRENT ENGINEERING?

Most people would answer this question by referring to one or more of the following:

· Design for manufacturing

· Design for assembly

· Design for environment

· Design for "X"

 

The assumption behind "concurrent engineering" is that design engineers, manufacturing engineers, production, and field service will "work together" during the design phase to produce superior designs and improved methods of production. Concurrent Engineering is also "Downstream Thinking". Whatever you design, a major consideration is what will the effect be on those downstream of me...manufacturing, the customer, etc. Dr. Bellows contends that simply working together is not enough. Like the LA Times' view of John Elway, "...we often do not see the bigger system, only little parts." Dr. Bellows gave a few examples, one of which was the allegory of the "Red Pen Company" and the "Blue Pen Company".

Consider the Story of the Red Pen and Blue Pen Companies The Blue Pen Company produces blue pens. The cap always snaps on and snaps off with minimal pressure. The cap always functions perfectly. The Blue Pen Company is characterized by a work culture in which its people were happy, dedicated and involved. The Red Pen Company produces red pens. Owners of red pens often find the caps falling off or they need a hammer to put them back on. In the Red Pen Company people held a rigid "US versus THEM" view that engendered cynicism, apathy and little motivation. The difference between the two company's is summed up in their two differing operational philosophies: Acceptability Thinking vs. Desirability Thinking.

Dr. Bellows describes the "Red Pen" and "Blue Pen" Companies

-	Red Pen company ACCEPTABILITY PHILOSOPHY	Blue Pen Company DESIRABILITY PHILOSOPHY
Vocabulary	OK, fast, cheap, safe, lean	Better, faster, cheaper, safer, leaner
Perspective	Everything is absolute	Everything is continuous
Behavior	Reactive	Proactive
Focus	Problems	Opportunities
Activity	Fix	Improve
Requirements	Meet expectations	Exceed expectations

Next he measured the differences in the overall management environment of each company.

-	Red Pen Company Environment	Blue Pen Company Environment
Quality	Slight effort for pen cap removal	Smooth (snap-fit) cap removal
Communication	Difficult	Smooth
Process	Manual operations, disorganization	Automation, clean, organized
Attitude	Knowledge viewed as "power" and should be hoarded	Knowledge is to be shared
Productivity	Specification focus (limits)	Focus on target
Value	Zero defects or 100% acceptability	100% acceptability and more (desirability)
People	Possessive of personal work time (territorial)	Spend own time to save others time (investment)
Focus	Activities	Results
Scale	Good/Bad Black/White	Shades of Gray

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VARIATION, PSYCHOLOGY, AND WORKING TOGETHER

Dr. Bellows made reference to concepts used in his Understanding Variation Seminar during this presentation. For companies dealing with issues of cause and effect relationships, he briefly explained Dr. Deming's "Theory of Knowledge" and how a "newer set of eyes acknowledges that management is prediction and prediction is based on theories."

Dr. Deming's "Theory of Knowledge" is from his "System of Profound Knowledge" which promotes the the following as being all important and never ending:

• Appreciation of a System
• Understanding of Psychology
• Knowledge and Appreciation of Variation
• Have a "Theory of Knowledge"

Add to these the concepts from Dr. Taguchi and others:

• The Ability to Differentiate Between Acceptability and Desirability Thinking

When we no longer operate from a mandatory "must do" attitude and change to a "want to do" attitude, we recognize that the way we treat people affects the way theories are created, the degree to which individuals cooperate, and whether they will operate from acceptability or desirability--the psychology of "volunteering". With these new eyes, we can exploit the understanding of variation and manage it for maximum profit. It gives companies a sustainable strategic advantage over competitors.

MOVING BEYOND WORKING TOGETHER - A SUMMARY

	Concurrent Engineering is more that just sitting together or working together--it is "thinking together."
	Move from a focus on "continuous improvement" to a focus on "continuous investment". That is, do not just try to improve your part of the system. More importantly, invest in whatever part of the system will maximize the organization's future success--even if it does not bring you fame and glory.
	Believe that "sharing knowledge" is more powerful than the belief that "knowledge is power."