A DFX and concurrent engineering model for the establishment of a new department in a university

The natural focus of concurrent engineering (CE) and design for X (DFX), as commonly used by manufacturing industry, is on product design or new service development. The present study applies the DFX technique in a CE environment to the planning and design of a new department in a university, and thus develops a comprehensive model for such an undertaking. The model identifies two stages in the overall process: the planning stage and the design stage. The planning stage includes four dimensions, whereas the design stage includes 11 dimensions. The dimensions are interdependent; indeed, the dimensions cannot be implemented separately and sequentially. The model must be implemented in a CE environment. A case study is then presented in which a department of leisure management at a university is established using the model described. The implications of the case study and the final conclusions of the paper are then presented. r 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.