The C²ERES PROMESS engineering room has been operational for one semester for projects run by the Centre and the Space Campus. I attended a session and I recommend this unique experience. If the concepts of concurrent engineering are simple in principle - to simultaneously work with all the actors of a project to make it evolve in a coherent way - the reality is a lot more complex.

We put into practice the key concepts of engineering complex systems (sizing, validations, system budgets, etc.). The key concepts of concurrent engineering (configuration, association matrix, export) make sense in this environment. The project manager is supported by the PROMESS facilitator and solicits the different actors, researchers or engineers. They use PROMESS prototyping tools or their own business tools to quickly produce the requested information, graph or simulation. I even attended a session where remote communication with partners in Taiwan was put in place. No dead time, a good fluidity for the progress of the collective work.

In this way the technique meets the requirements of the project and the project brings what is expected : advances in a well thought through way, and the assurance that the different subsystems develop in a coherent framework. Clearly, the sessions result from the preparatory work of each of the speakers, their expertise, but also the PROMESS pedagogy with key results : team building, development of a common reference for all the actors, effective debates on the major options of the project. The promises of the PROMESS Engineering Room are kept !

Benoît MOSSER,
Pedagogical Director of C²ERES