An Optimization Model for Concurrent Engineering

The primary purpose of this paper is to develop a model to help determine optimal product/service, process and supply chain configurations in a concurrent fashion. For that purpose, a concurrent engineering framework and an optimization model that incorporate supply chain design and life cycle costing concepts are developed. In order to demonstrate and validate the proposed model, a numerical example is presented. The model results are compared to those from a sequential design process and indicate that the proposed model can achieve better overall results. Conclusions, implications, and directions for future research are also discussed.