A concurrent design facility architecture for engineering design education and research

Concurrent design is introduced in complex systems design and development, replacing the traditional ("waterfall") approach. Multi-disciplinary experts work in parallel, conduct realtime design activities, independent of their physical location, and allow progress status to be reviewed on a continuous basis. Such attributes enable concurrent design to solve many challenges facing complex system design, such as aerospace, automotive, maritime and civil infrastructure, where improving lead-time and reducing cost is paramount. Concurrent design requires a dedicated information technology environment to support data exchange, analysis, data display and communication. It is important that tertiary institutions embrace this new approach to familiarise graduates with this new technology. This paper reviews existing Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) frameworks and proposes an architecture suitable for education and research.