A review of techniques that support Concurrent Engineering or Simultaneous Engineering (CE/SE) is presented. It is shown that the management of projects consistent with the principles of CE/SE is hampered by the lack of a suitable activity network modelling tool. The limitations of existing methods such as the Critical Path Analysis Method (CPM) and the related Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) for the management of complex design projects are demonstrated. Recent enhancements and alternatives to CPMlPERT are reviewed. A network model is proposed that supports CE/SE and is capable of representing uncertain task outcomes, partial dependencies and task iterations characteristic of complex design projects. Discrete-event simulation is used to evaluate the network and show the effect of resources constraints, communications efficiency and activity control logic on project completion timescales and product quality. The proposed model is designed so that the activity network can be derived from and directly related to a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) matrix. This allows project completion to be expressed in terms of customer requirements and priorities. The network model is illustrated by showing how it can be applied to an aerospace design project.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:300917 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Scanlan, James Patrick |
| Publisher | University of the West of England, Bristol |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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