Investigating the Use of Set-Based Concurrent Engineering in Product Manufacturing Companies

Abstract

Set-Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE) was first introduced as a concept in studies of Toyota’s Product Development (PD) system in the mid-nineties. SBCE represents one of the basic principles of Lean PD and is claimed to be one of main operational practices explaining Toyota’s success in the auto industry, despite its inherent paradoxes. However, research studies documenting the successful use of SBCE in other companies are still scarce. We, therefore, ask ‘what are the PD capabilities associated with the SBCE concept in a real-world operation?’ and ‘which of these capabilities, if any, are more ripe than others in product design and manufacturing companies’? To answer these two research questions, we performed semi-structured interview in 29 global Norwegian-based companies operating in different industries. This paper presents the main findings related to SBCE capabilities along with a categorization into maturity levels. Finally, we discuss the characteristics of the different maturity levels in relation to for the use of SBCE. The main contribution of the work include the identification of a set of capabilities essential to SBCE, and the associated practices in 29 companies operating in different industries.