CAREER: A Concurrent Design Paradigm for Small Companies

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9624195 Carlson This Career Award provides support for the development of a concurrent engineering methodology for small companies and educational activities to develop skills in team work, design, and product development. Concurrent engineering has had a significant impact on the quality and development cycle of products in large corporations. Even though small companies constitute ninety percent of all manufacturing firms in the United States, little work has been done to develop a concurrent engineering methodology that targets their needs. An action research paradigm is used to gather information through interviews and participation in small company design teams. Based upon this information, a methodology is proposed and taught to industrial participants and students. After implementation of the methodology in companies and the classroom, revisions are made, starting the whole cycle again. This action research paradigm allows practicing engineers and students to become partners in the development of a design methodology that uses teams of people to focus on the life cycle aspects of a product early in the design cycle. Educational activities include the development of a Technology, Management, and Policy minor that will be open to students across the university. This minor will educate students on the development of technologies and products and the implication of these developments on the nation and the world, and will give the students an opportunity to work in multi-disciplinary teams on complex problems dealing with management and development of technologies. These students will be better prepared to make tough decisions on how to govern and use technology as the nation faces the issues of global competition, sustainability, and diminishing resources. This grant is likely to provide improvements in design within small companies and the education of students about design and interdisciplinary team work. Similar benefits are expected from a concurrent methodology de veloped specifically for small companies that can be adopted without the expense of outside consultants.