6.3.4 Culture: A Key Factor for Implementing the Integrated Concurrent Engineering Approach

Integrated Concurrent Engineering (ICE) is a design approach initially developed in the United States (US) to reduce schedule time and cost while achieving high design quality in the aerospace mission or system design activities. Many organizations in the US and Europe have confirmed these benefits, however, none beyond these regions. In this paper, we focus on a case in which a Japanese organization within the space domain failed to effectively utilize the ICE approach. This case is analyzed from both the systems engineering (SE) and cultural perspectives with comparison to the successes in the US and Europe to identify the main factors differentiating them. The key findings in this paper will provide organizations with information on where to focus in order to successfully implement the ICE approach and any related IT methodologies, and may better inform the strategy for collaboration of organizations within different cultures.