Title: Concurrent engineering and interfunctional project groups

Authors: Thomas Durand

Addresses: Ecole Centrale, F-92295 Chatenay Malabry Cedex, Paris, France

Abstract: Concurrent or simultaneous engineering in new product development is a new concept which, in our opinion, needs to be refined. The paper discusses how concurrency, as an organizational process, is related to interfunctional project team, as a structural form. Four structural forms are actually matched with the degree of concurrency involved in a product development project to yield a typology of possible organizational settings. The structuring of interfunctional project groups is also discussed, including the potential need to include external actors (partners, suppliers, etc.) in the development project.

Keywords: new product development; NPD; concurrent engineering; simultaneous engineering; interfunctional teams; organisational processes; structural forms; project management; innovation; lead times.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1995.025614

International Journal of Technology Management, 1995 Vol.10 No.1, pp.67 - 78

Published online: 23 May 2009 *

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