Call for papers: "Product Development in Collaborative and Integrated Environment"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Collaborative Enterprise.

With the recent advances in computing and internet technologies, an integrated and collaborative environment, based on the corresponding functions of concurrent engineering and internet-based collaborative engineering, is imperative for companies to facilitate and accelerate the product realisation processes. Topics such as concurrent and collaborative engineering, feature-based design and manufacturing, evolutionary computational techniques and computer-aided process planning are important strategies and empowering technologies for developing an integrative environment, facilitating modern product design and development.

Thus, a collaborative environment appears to be a toolbox of key-enabling skills and facilities providing the most competent management of complex product development process. It relates to the capabilities of designing, developing and implementing integrated solutions for complex product development linked to economic, staff, knowledge, information, equipment, energy and materials issues.

This special issue focuses on a collaborative and integrated environment for enhancing synergies in collaborative environments in order to tackle multipolar real life product development problems.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Concurrent engineering
• CAD/CAM
• Collaborative engineering
• Distributed engineering
• Design for sustainability
• Managing product variety
• Variability management
• Product lifecycle management
• Virtual reality for collaborative design
• Digital manufacturing
• Decision-making processes
• Case studies and other related issues

Important Dates

Full article submission: 1 August, 2014
Review results back to the authors: 1 October, 2014
Revised article based on reviews: 1 November, 2014
Final copy of accepted articles: 1 December, 2014