Concurrent engineering and the role of labor in product development

Abstract Concurrent engineering practices are essential to automotive firms' competitive strategy of reducing time-to-market in the development of new products. This paper reports the results of a study, conducted at a U.S. auto firm and its production facility in Canada, which examined the organizational effects of concurrent engineering on union-represented production and trades employees. The study findings suggest that simultaneous development of product and process affords plant employees earlier and expanded involvement in technology and training decisions.