Review and improve the manufacturing engineering new product introduction process -AIRBUS UK

This research has developed an organisational improvement methodology for the Manufacturing Engineering (ME) New Product Introduction (NPI) process at Airbus UK. The methodology is focused on improving the management of Concurrent Engineering (CE) and team/stakeholder effectiveness through improved involvement, communication, and coordination. In the context of Airbus UK’s ME NPI process the objectives were: to examine the current process, including the monitors and controls, deployed by the ME development team to design, implement and support NPI; to map/model the ME NPI process and hence, conduct a comparative analysis with best industrial practice; and to evaluate the pragmatic options open to ME and recommend appropriate business improvements/solutions. The research showed that effective CE teams provide the main vehicle for improving product development performance, by increasing integration through improved involvement, communication, and coordination. A literature study of ‘best practices’ identified the major causes of ‘waste’ within NPI as, poor communication and poor programme management. The research also showed that process modelling not only achieves a better understanding of the processes but also serves as a tool to contribute towards the assessment of CE teams using process based analysis. It was also found that process modelling improves process management within NPI. Process modelling and analysis is applied to the ME NPI process in order that a structured and pragmatic improvement methodology can be developed. The presentation of the CE organisational improvement methodology developed by this research provides Airbus UK with a less prescriptive approach to improving their business within the ME function and area of NPI. The application of the methodology is, unfortunately, outside the time limitations of this research. However, it is widely purported by ME NPI process stakeholders, and literature, that the most significant improvements to the current process can be realised through the improvement of ‘softer’ organisational issues.