WHILE THE CONCEPTS OF CONCURRENT ENGINEERING (CE) ARE SIMPLE, ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND THE NEED TO CHANGE A COMPANY'S CULTURE IS CHALLENGING. TOP-DOWN PLANNING AND GUIDANCE IS REQUIRED, BUT IMPLEMENTATION SHOULD OCCUR FROM THE BOTTOM UP TO DEVELOP OWNERSHIP. EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT MUST BE BASED ON COMMUNICATING THE GOALS OF A CE INITIATIVE AND PROVIDING NECESSARY TRAINING. THE BUSINESS PROCESS NEEDS TO BE EXAMINED, STREAMLINED, AND RE-STRUCTURED. THIS IS TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH TEAM-ORIENTED APPROACHES, INTEGRATED TECHNICAL SYSTEMS, DIGITAL PRODUCT MODELS AND METHODOLOGIES SUCH AS QFD. PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP, PLANNING, GOOD COMMUNICATION, AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL WILL PAY OFF.