Achieving And Concurrent Engineering: What Is Concurrent Engineering?

) Project – A project can be defined as planned set of tasks or actions that need to be undertaken to ensure a particular and definite result is achieved by complying to the specific time and budget constraints of that project.
b) Programme – A programme can be described as a folder or portfolio containing related and often times separate projects. The work done in a programme is of a continuous nature.
c) Portfolio of projects – A portfolio consisting of a set of projects which are completed separately and independently but ultimately contributes to the final result of the main project.
d) Project management – Achieving the objectives and requirements of a specific project effectively by applying a set of skills, methods, experience and knowledge.

Concurrent, or “simultaneous” engineering, is the methodology used in the development and designing of products, where the products are running simultaneously, although each of them are at a different stage, rather than consecutively. Some of the main benefits of concurrent engineering is that it enables reduced costs and improves the productivity by decreasing the product development time as well as the time to market. Fast-tracking is an unplanned procedure where the progress of the project needs to be accelerated in order to ensure that the deadline is met and is also initiated due to a restriction of time. Concurrent engineering on the other hand can be seen as a sort of “planned” fast-tracking rather than

a) In a functional structure, the project manager has to act as a coordinator of the project activities and has very limited power, plays a part-time role and has very low resources available.
b) The power of a project manager in a weak matrix is also limited and his/her role can be seen as part-time with limited resources available.
c) In a balanced matrix, the power of the project manager is low to moderate. The resources available to them are also low to moderate and their role can be seen as full-time, where the project budget is controlled between the project- and functional manager.
d) In a strong matrix, the power of the project manager ranges from moderate to high. The availability of resources are also moderate to high and their role can be seen as full-time, with the project budget controlled solely by the project manager.
e) The power of a project manager in a pure project can be seen as high to complete power. This means that they have high to almost total access to resources. The project budget is also solely controlled by the project manager and their role can be seen as full-time.
e) The project manager will have total control over the project they oversee in a pure project