Concurrent Teams

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IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

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IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams
What are concurrent teams?
What elements should they contain?
Should all disciplines be involved?
What type of people do we need?
Do different levels of teams need different
disciplines and/or types of people?
for example .
IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams
Human Resources, Engineering Resource Development
Planning and Control
Research and Technology, Engineering Processes & Methods
Systems
Design / Structures
Future
Projects

Flight
Physics

Support
in service

Production
Manufacturing Engineering
Procurement / Supply Chain Management

Product Integrity

First
Flight

Project
Inception

Entry into
Service

FUNCTIONAL INVOLVEMENT THROUGH PRODUCT LIFE

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Out of
Service

Concurrent Teams

Some Issues ..

How are team members chosen?

How are teams formed or disbanded?

Are internal team dynamics important?

How do we deal with multi-layered matrix management?

How do teams accommodate individual accountabilities

and responsibilities?

Do modern electronic forms of communication make

co-located teams obsolete?

What skills do todays engineers need?

What are todays scarce skills?

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams
How are team members chosen?
Why do you want a particular person in your team?

A close friend ?
Someone you admire ?
Good technical skills ?
Good people skills ?
Makes decisions quickly ?
Experienced ?
Female / Male ?
Easy to boss around ?

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Too challenging ?
Too aggressive ?
Not a team player ?
Too tech-ie and sad ?
Too new to the company ?
Female / Male ?
Too senior for available role ?
Friend of the boss ?

Concurrent Teams
How are team members chosen?
Why do you want a particular person in your team?

Source - Meredith Belbin

Team Roles At Work, 1993
IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams

How are teams formed (and disbanded)?

Do they just join the team when they are available?
Are they the people you want or are they the ones that

are available?
How do you get the person you really want, but who is
being under-used in another role?

Do you have a formal team launch event?

Do you invite your customer?
Do you invite your suppliers?
How do you find out if your suppliers can actually do the job?

Do you hang on to good people just in case?

Do you hold a celebration event on disbanding?
IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams
Are internal team dynamics important?
Belbin - Team Roles

Source - Meredith Belbin

Team Roles At Work, 1993

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams
Are internal team dynamics important?
Belbin Styles of Leadership

Source - Meredith Belbin

Team Roles At Work, 1993

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams
Are internal team dynamics important?
Margerison and McCann

The Team
Management Wheel
Source Margerison & McCann
Team Management, 1990

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

10

Concurrent Teams
How do we cope with multi-layer matrix
management ?

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

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12

Concurrent Teams

How do we cope with multi-layer matrix

management ?
Management and integration
oriented teams
A380
Design & Build oriented teams
ACMT

Landing
Gear

Aircraft Component

Wing

Management Team

CMIT

Ailerons
Spoilers

Component Management
Integration Team

IDBTs
Integration Design
& Build Teams

CDBTs
Component Design
& Build Teams

Fixed Leading
Edge

Mid FLE

J-Nose

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Equipped
Wing

Fixed Trailing
Edge

Bathtub

Wing
box

Slats/
Flaps

Stage 1
and 2

Midbox

Inboard
Covers

Ribs

Outboard
Covers

Concurrent Teams

14

How do teams accommodate individual

accountabilities and responsibilities?
To be successful, each team should have :
A clear set of objectives and timescales.
A single person accountable for the teams deliverables.
A person who takes responsibility for resource issues.
A person who takes responsibility for project management.
Some innovative team members.
Appropriate technical experts.
People who are simply workers probably the majority.
Good visibility of their suppliers and customers.
Mutual tolerance and respect.
IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams

15

Do modern forms of communication make

teams obsolete?
Electronic data vaults - Single source of the latest data.
Enables dispersed working.
Permits follow the sun working.
. But

Electronic mail

makes quality and task management more difficult

and is no use when the system goes down.

- No time restrictions on communications.

Copy can be stored in paperless form.

. But

product liability dangers; relies on good common

language writing skills; useless if the system is down.

People still need to meet and to see for themselves.

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

16

Concurrent Teams
What (skills) do todays engineers need?

High level technical skills.

For some, leadership skills.
Good business understanding.
Good interpersonal and team working skills.
The ability to think innovatively.
The ability to challenge.
Speak at least one other modern language.
The desire to develop themselves.
Adaptability, and ..

A sense of humour.
IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

A sort of
Concurrent People

Concurrent Teams
What (skills) are scarce today?

High level technical skills.

For some, leadership skills.
Good business understanding.
Good interpersonal and team working skills.
The ability to think innovatively.
The ability to challenge.
Speak at least one other modern language.
The desire to develop themselves.
Adaptability, and ..

A sense of humour.
IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

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Concurrent Teams

18

Is knowledge management important?

No in Airbus, its critical !!

Being world leaders, we can rarely recruit the skills we
need, we have to develop our existing staff ourselves.
With a product life cycle that can be 70 years, we have
to maintain all the skills to support our legacy aircraft.
We need to manage the exit of our staff, to ensure we
minimise the loss of skill, experience, etc. through
coaching our younger and/or less experienced staff.
Where possible, electronic knowledge management of
processes is used.

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

Concurrent Teams

Concurrent People
Concurrent Teams
Concurrent Engineering

IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003

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Concurrent Teams

AIRBUS
IGDS Concurrent Engineering Module, 25th February 2003