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The Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry is one of the multidisciplinary domains in which collaboration among related parties is of utmost importance. Despite the intense flow of information between design professionals, there is a lack of research to better understand and manipulate these flows. Most of the current process modelling tools in the AEC industry do not enable analyses of iterative information cycles. Moreover, these tools represent the process at high levels, thus, they are inadequate for multi-parameter problems like building design. With a view to alleviate these problems, this paper introduces the use of parameter-based design structure matrix as a process modelling and system analysis tool for building design. The method reveals insights into the process structure, optimum sequence of parameter decisions, iterative cycles and concurrency in the process. The application of the method is demonstrated through a case study on suspended ceiling design in a real-life project. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper seeks to address omissions in previous research by identifying a future competency profile for design engineers. A three-phase methodology using both quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. A competency profile for the future design engineer, 10 years hence, was generated. The profile consisted of 42 competencies divided into the following six competency groups (in descending order of criticality): personal attributes, project management, cognitive strategies, cognitive abilities, technical ability, and communication. Furthermore, non-technical competencies were forecast to become increasingly important in the future. Results were discussed with reference to their implications for the design engineering industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Innovation happens deliberately more often than it does by inspiration. This paper describes disciplines applied by effective multi-disciplinary engineering firms in nurturing innovation in order to produce intellectual property in a variety of domains, from telecommunications to medical instruments. The report arises from a series of in situ observations and interviews in 12 engineering consultancies in the UK and US over 2 years. It describes strategies that expert designers use to ‘get out of the box’ of familiar thinking, to identify gaps in existing products, and to go beyond ‘satisficing’. It describes the supportive engineering culture in which these strategies are embedded. Finally, it identifies the characteristics which distinguish the highest-performing teams. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Towards the realization of plant enterprise engineering environment (PEEE), the construction of the plant model is essential to understand and to manage the plant lifecycle activities. This paper demonstrates a technique to construct a plant model on the basis of object-oriented approach. The plant design model is represented using unified modeling language (UML). The hydrodesulfurization (HDS) plant is used as a case study where the piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) of the HDS plant process has been represented as composed of control group units (CGUs) connected to each other via connection points (CPs). An object-oriented modeling tool is used as a repository to construct the plant model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]