Agile development became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century when the Manifesto for Agile Software Development was released. Since then, it has been predominant in the software industry and has been increasingly transferred to the development of physical products due to its great success. There are many studies on Agile-Stage-Gate hybrids that combine agile Scrum and the traditional Stage-Gate model, however no research has been found that addresses a direct integration of Scrum into a concurrent product development model in a similar way. In this paper, we therefore examine the possibility of introducing Scrum into the concurrent product development and propose a Scrum framework for an Agile-Concurrent hybrid. We propose that the framework for concurrent development remains unchanged: the stages overlap and the track-and-loop approach is preserved, while Scrum is proposed for the execution of day-to-day work. The main advantage of the proposed hybrid is that after each iteration the customer reviews the results of an entire loop, not just of one stage, which enables a broader understanding of the progress and facilitates a more extensive feedback. A quicker resolution of discrepancies, and a faster and more effective response to change is thus ensured. In the paper, the needed organizational changes and potential implementation issues are also discussed.

Today, three conditions are crucial for a company to be competitive on the market: quality, reduced time and low costs for the development of new products. The paper shows how companies developing new products (NPD) for the market can successfully implement concurrent engineering as an improvement of project management, in order to reduce product development time and costs and to ensure the quality expected by customers. The methodology presented in this paper is based on three main pillars of knowledge: project management, teamwork and concurrent engineering. The methodology provides a step-by-step guideline for the introduction of concurrent engineering in a company. This paper also presents the results of 10 Slovenian companies where this methodology has been tested on 20 pilot projects. The results show that managed projects upgraded with the principles of concurrent engineering lead to cost reduction, shorter development time and fewer discrepancies.

Fused deposition modelling/fused filament fabrication (FDM/FFF) enables rapid manufacturing of functional polymer components; however, the reliability of printed parts remains strongly governed by internal architecture, process-induced porosity, and exposure to service fluids. This study quantifies the combined influence of (i) infill pattern (linear, triangular, hexagonal) at 30% density, (ii) infill density (30%, 60%, 100%) for linear infill, and (iii) short-term lubricant exposure on the tensile and microstructural response of FDM-printed polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG) and short-carbon-fibre-reinforced PETG (PETG+CF). Specimens were printed following ISO 527-2 and tensile-tested at 5 mm/min. Microstructural analysis coupled quantitative porosity with mechanical response, Young’s Modulus, and strain-to-break. At 30% density, PETG with hexagonal infill achieved the highest tensile strength (18.54 ± 0.67 MPa), exceeding linear (16.99 ± 0.52 MPa) and triangular (14.15 ± 0.70 MPa) patterns, while triangular and linear patterns exhibited higher Young’s Modulus, indicating topology-driven decoupling of stiffness and strength. Increasing linear infill density raised strength to 31.35 ± 0.33 MPa (PETG) and 38.90 ± 0.28 MPa (PETG+CF) at 100%, consistent with reduced porosity. Seven-day immersion in SAE 15W-40 mineral engine oil reduced PETG strength by ~17% while increasing deformation to failure, whereas PETG+CF showed only minor changes. Overall, the results demonstrate that architecture-aware design, supported by quantitative porosity descriptors, is essential for ensuring the reliable mechanical performance of FDM/FFF-printed PETG-based components exposed to service fluids.

Project management of product/service orders has become a mode of operation in many companies. Although these are mostly cyclically recurring projects, risk management is very important for them. An extended risk-analysis model for new product/service projects is presented in this paper. Emphasis is on a solution developed in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The usual project activities risk analysis is based on evaluation of the probability that risk events occur and on evaluation of their consequences. A third parameter has been added in our model: an estimate of the incidence of risk events. On the basis of the calculated activity risk level, a project team prepares preventive and corrective measures that should be taken according to the status indicators. An important advantage of the proposed solution is that the project manager and his team members are timely warned of risk events and they can thus activate the envisaged preventive and corrective measures as necessary.

This paper outlines a risk management method that is based on the use of a standard risk management model and is adapted to the specific nature of infrastructure projects. The standard model can be used to identify and quantify unexpected events in planning and executing a project. The use of a risk map will also be illustrated. A risk map can serve to classify the identified and quantified risk events, depending on the expected loss, to critical risks that call for a more in-depth treatment, and non-critical risks that are normally not monitored, while no measures are foreseen in advance. A risk map is used to determine what the anticipated effects of the measures to mitigate the critical risks will be, and how the anticipated measures enable the transition from a critical risk to a non-critical risk. In this article, the suggested risk management is illustrated using the example of the erection of a reservoir for a hydroelectric power plant. The use of the proposed tools for the identification, assessment, prioritisation, and management of risks proved highly successful. With the use of the proposed risk model, the critical risk events were lowered under the acceptable level of the expected losses.

Background: To stay competitive in a highly unpredictable market of today, companies must be able to manage project risks effectively. The basis for an effective risk management is a thorough risk analysis. Despite the availability of many different risk analysis approaches, companies can be reluctant to use them, since the models are usually complex and very time consuming. Objectives: The main objective is to present a simple, yet effective risk analysis approach that can also serve as a useful basis for resolving project risks. Methods/Approach: The proposed standard risk analysis approach is based on a standard risk model that deals with risk events and impacts separately and therefore allows for a separate planning of preventive and corrective measures. To classify risks and to represent them graphically, a risk map is used. Results: The use of the proposed approach is illustrated on a die-cast tool development project. The approach proved to be very simple to use and it served as a useful basis for resolving the identified risks. Conclusions: The main advantage of the proposed approach is its simplicity and clarity. It can also be used as a quick decision-making tool in a subsequent risk resolving process.