The general theme of the CE2009 Conference is the recognised requirement for advancements in Concurrent Engineering (CE) with a global perspective for competitive enterprise, economy and ecology. CE appeared in the '80s as the concept of parallel performing engineering design activities and the integration of all related processes. This concept is based on the general assumption that different components of the product life cycle should be considered together and relatively early. The main goal of CE is to make processes more efficient and more resistant to errors.

Since then the whole CE approach has evolved into different forms with different names and has become omnipresent. The industrial presence of CE differs from well established corporation implementations to SME applications. The last twenty years have brought many changes to the organization of product design and manufacturing: engineers have developed narrower specializations; engineers have developed a global presence; engineers work in firms which are final producers or suppliers; sometimes firms create alliances; engineers cooperate and collaborate; and they use different methods and tools to support their engineering activities. As a result the CE approach supports engineers in many ways.

The role of information systems in CE has always been treated as very important. First methodologies and tools were concentrated on offering the possibility to contact people and processes, to make the right information and knowledge available at the right time. The presence of computer tools in CE is treated as standard.

If one looks now at what is going on and at how many different issues are important in design, manufacturing, supply, distribution, etc., one will understand why the context of CE is so rich and so complicated, why there are so many CE specializations and why the main topic of the CE2009 Conference is of great relevance. The plurality of CE specialization has been reflected by the range of CE 2009 Conference tracks, which include Systems Engineering, Advanced Manufacture, Product Design, Design for Sustainability, Knowledge Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Collaborative Engineering, Web Technologies and Service Solutions. Apart from the enumerated tracks, the conference also has seven special sessions: Radio Frequency Identification, Collaborative Product Development, Multi-disciplinary Design and Optimization, Design Knowledge Utilization, Competitive Supply Chain Performance, Value Engineering and Competitive Design.

The proceedings contain 84 papers, demonstrating the multitude of different perspectives contained in this volume. There are papers which are theoretic and conceptual, as well as papers which have very strong industrial roots. There are also very detailed, highly specialized paper, which are closely linked to specific industrial case studies. The reader will also find papers which are based on real processes, but which operate on abstract models and which offer a bridge between industrial reality and academic research.

CE does not develop equally in each area; the direction of development depends on many factors. The content of this volume reflects the variety of issues in today's CE methods and phenomena; consequently, readers will be able to build their own view of the present problems and methods involved in CE.

Table of Contents

Technology.- Modeling and Solving the Collaborative Supply Chain Planning Problems.- A Bi-objective Model for Concurrent Planning of Supplier Selection and Assembly Sequence Planning.- Automobile Manufacturing Logistic Service Management and Decision Support Using Classification and Clustering Methodologies.- Lead Time Reduction by Extended MPS System in the Supply Chain.- A Multi-Product EPQ Model with Discrete Delivery Order: a Langrangean Solution Approach.- A Case Study on Impact Factors of Retailing Implementing CPFR - A Fuzzy AHP analysis.- Autonomous Capacity Planning by Negotiation against Demand Uncertainty.- A Negotiation-Based Approach to Supply Chain Planning and Scheduling Problems in a Fully Distributed Environment.- Environmental Transparency of Food Supply Chains - Current Status and Challenges.- Multi-Product Min-Cost Recycling Network Flow Problem.- Applying RFM Model and K-Means Method in Customer Value Analysis of an Outfitter.- An Investigation of Community Response to Urban Traffic Noise.- A Market Segmentation System for Consumer Electronics Industry Using Particle Swarm Optimization and Honey Bee Mating Optimization.- Why the Big 3 Decline Despites Their Lean Management - A Study Based on the Theory of Constraints.- The Business Data Integrity Risk Management Model: A Benchmark Data.- Center Case of IT Service Firm.- The Key Dimensions for Information Service Industry in Entering Global Market: a Fuzzy-Delphi & AHP Approach.- Problem-Based Construction of Engineering Curricula for Multidisciplinary and Concurrent Engineering Practice.- Competences Supported on Thematic Contents for Evaluation of Curricula Aiming to Concurrent Engineering.- Predicting the Yield Rate of DRAM Modules by Support Vector Regression.- Reflective Concurrent Engineering -- 3rd Generation CE.- The Study of Autonomous Negotiation System Based on Auction Enabled Intelligent Agent -- Using Parking Tower Asset Maintenance as Case Example.- KBE and Manufacturing Constraints Management.- Manufacturing Cost Contingency Management: Part a) Methodology Development.- Manufacturing Cost Contingency Management: Part b) Application and Validation.- Systems Engineering Methodology for Concurrent Engineering Education.- Creating Value by Measuring Collaboration Alignment of Strategic Business Processes.- Drivers of Customer Satisfaction in a Project-Oriented, Business-to-Business Market Environment: an Empirical Study.- Development of a Web-Based Mass Customization Platform for Bicycle Customization Services.- A Manufacturing Grid Architecture Based on Jini and SORCER.- Minding the Gap Between First and Continued Usage: an Empirical Study of the Implementation of a Corporate e-Learning English-Language Program at a Financial Firm in Taiwan.- Web-Based Mechanism Design of 3C Plastic Parts with Knowledge Management.- WIW - A Web-Based Information System for Profile of Wind