Design theory; the foundation for concurrent engineering

Considers how new computer aided engineering tools for improving R&M in concurrent engineering must be built on a firm foundation of design theory-we must improve our understanding of design processes before we can meet the challenges of quality design engineering and shrinking lead-times. Our models of concurrent design processes must capture their essential evolutionary, exploratory, and satisficing nature as distinct from optimization or autonomous transformations of data in parallel or sequence. A new generation of design support systems, including appropriate CAE tools, must provide mechanisms for capturing, revising, and communicating a hierarchy of target parameters. The authors discuss the challenges of concurrency and concurrent design support