3. Causes and origins of simultaneous engineering

3.1 Causes

Two conclusions can be drawn from the organizational structures of the industrial fabric described above. The first reflects the incompatibility between existing IT resources and the "fragmented and compartmentalized" corporate organization observed in the 1980s. Furthermore, in view of the volatile economic situation of the 1990s, we conclude that it is necessary to seize market windows, achieving maximum reduction in the product life-cycle from definition to availability. It is therefore imperative to adopt a simultaneous organization to divide procedures, a concurrent organization to direct or compete towards the same goal, and a multi-disciplinary organization to share skills. This new organization and innovative working methods are met by the concept of simultaneous...