The role of information technology in the support CE of based electronic product design processes

Implementation of concurrent engineering (CE) programmes require consideration of how to create automated CE environments. Modern electronic design automation tools provide a foundation for this activity but without facilities which address the aspects of communication infrastructure and the overall product development process, the full benefits of CE may not be realised. This paper discusses the role that IT plays in the implementation of an automated CE environment. It examines some of the emerging design methodologies, the importance of library management, the place of data and process management, and how decision support tools can be used to evaluate the effect of early design decisions on final product parameters (such as cost, reliability etc.) and where appropriate builds on the experiences gained in the implementation of CE environments for electronic product design