Concurrent engineering and social distancing 101: lessons learned during a global pandemic

Social distancing measures introduced in the wake of COVID-19 greatly impacted the concurrent engineering process. This paper addresses methodological adaptation measures which are required to ensure the continuity of this activity. Two CubeSat feasibility studies run at the University of Strathclyde, one physical and one virtual, are compared to quantify the impact of the adaptation. Three evaluation criteria are used: the fulfilment of requirements & customer satisfaction, server data flow rate and participant perceptions. The results indicate that although adaptation was successful, it failed to lift all communication barriers introduced by virtual exchanges.