1.What is the evidence to support the claim that this project was a success?

The evidence to support the claim that this project was a success in Instron began when
they decided to undertake change in the late 1980s, a programme to incorporate the
concurrent new product development. Concurrent engineering is a work methodology
based on the concurrent of tasks. It refers to product development in which functions of
design engineering, manufacturing engineering and other functions are integrated to reduce
the elapsed time required to bring a new product to the market.

In 1992 at the height of the recession, Instron decided to redesign a pilot product to reduce its
cost and make it easier to manufacture. Brainstorming sessions with manufacturing engineers,
buyers, members of the shop floor, suppliers and additional design engineers, to find new and
innovative ways to improve the product. The outcome of these investigations was to drawcost
reduced by 49 per cent;
 product range rationalised from 12 to 2 versions;
 unique part count reduced from 141 to 98 (fewer parts to plan, purchase,
stock and handle)
 total number of parts reduced from 300 to 189 (much reduced assembly
effort);
 assembly/machining time reduced by 55 per cent;
 project completed on time,
 with last version to be released in April 1994.

With the adoption of concurrent engineering within Instron, it is seen as a timely

evolutionary progress towards achiving better success, whatmore at the height of the
recession, profit margins being squeezed and sales volume dropping. Modifications to the
process of introducing new products have generally been the natural response to a changing
set of market requirements, the need to redesign the instrument to reduce its cost and make it
easier to manufacture. Steps are already taken to evaluate the pilot project and the pilot
product within the confinement of concurrent engineering work technology. It is a method
used in product development. The difference being the traditional product development
approach employs simultaneous, rather than sequential, processes. By completing tasks in
parallel, product development can be accomplished more efficiently cost savings.

Concurrent engineering allows for design and analysis to occur at the same time, or multiple
times, prior to actual deployment. This CE multidisciplinary approach emphasizes teamwork
through the use of cross-functional teams, and it allows for employees to work
collaboratively on all aspects of a project from start to finish. Also known as the iterative
development method, it requires continual review of a team’s progress and frequent revision
of project plans. The rationale behind this creative, forward-looking approach is that the
earlier that errors can be discovered, the easier and less costly they are to be rectified. The
design management system offers several benefits, including increased product quality for the
end user, faster product development times, and lower costs for both the manufacturer and the
consumer.

In Instron, its new product development process(NPD) of bringing new product or service to
market and in order to generate and commercialise new products within its overall strategic
life cycle, and to sustain its growth in market share, to reduce the NPD downtime many
companies completed several steps at the same time referred to as concurrent engineering or
time to market.Many industry leaders see new product development as an ongoing process of
continuous development in which the entire organization is always looking for opportunities.

One of the evidences to show success to this project is the ability of Instron to embrace the
basic concept adopted in the concurrent engineering approach that is all parts of the design,
manufacture, production, management, finance, and marketing of the product are usually
involved in the early stages of a product’s design cycle, enabling faster product development
through extensive use of simulation. Substantial design savings accomplished through
incorporating all of the design cycles and utilising a computer workstation environment. This
provides access to a commonly shared database where any alteration to a product design is
updated and disseminated for all members of the design and support teams.The concurrent
engineering environment is a co-operative and collaborative one, as illustrated in Figure 1,
which shows how knocking down the old walls opens up opportunities for greater input into
the earlier stages of the development cycle.

VS
 Figure 1: Collaborating – knocking down the old walls
Sequential Development Method vs. Iterative
Development Method

Finally the environment of concurrent engineering at Instron successfully produce its product
and be operational. Only few minor problems were encountered. The success was attributed by
the firm to two decisions:
 the selection of the right project — one that made it easy to demonstrate
concurrenly;
 the selection of the right people — those who were prepared to be open-minded and
have some enthusiasm for the changes.

The success story at Instron is due to the adopted concept in concurrent engineering with
design activities all occurring at the same time, or concurrently:
 to significantly increase productivity,
 increase product quality,
 reducing cycle-times,
 reduce manufacturing, re-work
 quality costs,
 allowing errors and redesigns to be discovered early in the design process when the
project is still in the concept stage.

In concurrent engineering is important to get the correct data to the intended person or tool at
the right time, and in the precise format. The large variety of software integrated into the
electronic design environment has allowed multi-disciplinary teams to work in their own
environment. Concurrent engineering can be considered as a systematic approach that brings
product development and processes together for the entire company.
Successful companies today will learn to manage the changes needed to ensure continued
productivity in the global marketplace, getting the highest quality, lowest cost product to
market in the least time. To manage the forces of change, a company must have a product
development environment that uses concurrent engineering to produce its basic product.

Instron now views this simple project had restored the profitability of an established product
through the use of innovation, ingenuity and new design techniques by the whole concurrent
team. What is also clear is that the product was subject to technical change in only one area:

 the materials used.

 The other benefits have all been due to the approach that the firm's management
has taken to its new product development (NPD) process.

Instron felt that the project has been a success and that this concurrent engineering method
of working would become an institutionalised methodology. At the start of the article,
Instron was noticeably out of date with their concurrent engineering implementation. They
follow evolving paths that lead them to achieve their goals in a new product release.

The term concurrent engineering is therefore seen as a suitable description for the approach to
developing new products that Instron had naturally intended. The process of change has now
been accepted by most, as a way of organizational life within the company. Lastly, good and
reliable infrastructures complement the use of concurrent engineering and help bring them
into reality.