Set based concurrent engineering: Serious gaming and implications for practice

Abstract

This paper presents a Serious Game (SG) about SBCE (Set-Based Concurrent Engineering) which is one element of Lean practice in Product Development (PD). The game is structured in two stages that simulate the traditional approach to product concept development called PBCE (Pont Based Concurrent Engineering) and SBCE processes. Although SBCE is becoming popular in academia, its understanding and level of adoption in practice are low. Thus, the game is designed to bring a hand on experience to practionaires to understand and reflect on the benefits and applicability of SBCE in a particular company's context. This paper presents some of the learning outcomes gained through running the game in a company which designs and manufactures products for HVAC/R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) markets. Moreover, some practical and theoretical insights gained throughout the game play are discussed.