When an issue does come up, the work has to be passed backward over the wall, fixed, and then sent forward over the wall again. Of course, things don’t always go as planned, and issues arise. For this method to work as intended, each person has to be given all of the right deliverables and/or specifications from the previous person AND perform his/her task exactly as required, before passing the work on to the next person. This method also makes it easy to identify underperformers. The primary advantage of this method is that it makes a highly complex project easy to understand and track. This methodology relies on tasks being performed sequentially and with very little need for communication or collaboration. The term “over the wall approach” came about because each person’s work is handed over the hypothetical (or actual) cubicle wall to the next person. In the over the wall engineering approach to product design, each team member performs his or her tasks and then passes that collateral on to the next team member.

Over the Wall Engineering came about after the industrial revolution, with the introduction of the assembly line and task specialization. Over The Wall Engineering (The Old Way of Thinking)Ī diagram of the sequential engineering approach This article will explain the differences between the two approaches and provide guidance for breaking down the “walls” of sequential engineering, so you can make the transition to the preferred approach: concurrent/simultaneous engineering.

The concurrent engineering approach, also known as the simultaneous engineering approach.

The sequential engineering approach, also known as the “over the wall approach,” or the traditional engineering approach.

In product design and development, there are two main approaches to these interactions: How those roles each interact with one another, and at what point in the development process the roles interact, makes a huge difference on the overall development timeline, cost, and even quality of the end product. Industrial design, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, graphic design, packaging design, and more all come together to turn a great idea into an even better product. Have you ever wondered how many people it took to bring that shiny new product you purchased from an idea to the actual object in your hands? It likely took the team effort of many more people than you might have imagined.

Home designer pro break wall