Use Cases

Engineering Execution Systems are not universally required.
They become relevant where execution complexity exceeds what planning, reporting, and coordination mechanisms can reliably represent.

The following use cases describe project contexts in which engineering execution must be observed explicitly in order to remain controllable.

When Engineering Execution becomes critical

Engineering Execution Systems are most relevant in environments where:

• engineering defines the project outcome,
• definition evolves during execution,
• and readiness cannot be inferred from plans alone.

In such contexts, execution stability depends on structural visibility rather than coordination effort.

Engineering Execution Systems address execution complexity,
not organisational inefficiency.

Engineer-to-Order (ETO)

In Engineer-to-Order projects, the product is defined specifically for each order.

Engineering work:

• continues throughout procurement and manufacturing,
• introduces ongoing changes to product structure,
• and directly affects execution readiness.

In this context:

• planning assumptions are frequently invalidated,
• dependencies shift during execution,
• and readiness must be assessed continuously.

Engineering Execution Systems make execution readiness visible while definition is still evolving, rather than assuming completeness upfront.

Bespoke engineering

Bespoke engineering involves highly individual solutions with limited reuse of predefined designs.

Execution challenges arise because:

• assemblies are unique,
• dependencies are resolved incrementally,
• and execution experience cannot be fully standardised.

Here, execution cannot be controlled through predefined processes alone.

Engineering Execution Systems provide a structural reference that allows bespoke execution to be analysed without relying on standard workflows or templates.

Complex assemblies

Projects involving complex assemblies exhibit execution behaviour that is difficult to capture through task-based views.

Such assemblies:

• span multiple disciplines,
• contain numerous interfaces,
• and accumulate dependencies across engineering phases.

Execution readiness emerges unevenly across the product structure.

Engineering Execution Systems expose these differences by observing readiness at assembly level, making local execution risk visible before it propagates globally.

Parallel engineering and production

In many engineering-driven projects, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and assembly proceed in parallel.

This concurrency creates structural tension:

• production decisions depend on incomplete definition,
• execution assumptions change continuously,
• and coordination relies on implicit readiness.

Engineering Execution Systems make this tension explicit by separating engineering execution from production execution, allowing readiness to be evaluated before commitments are finalised.

From use cases to application

The use cases described here do not define a single implementation approach.

They illustrate where Engineering Execution Systems become necessary and why traditional system landscapes reach their limits.

Specific application patterns are explored in the corresponding sections of this site.

Relation to Product Flow

Product Flow applies Engineering Execution principles to these use cases as an Engineering Execution System.

The system does not prescribe how projects should be run.
It provides structural visibility into execution reality across assemblies, phases, and dependencies.

This visibility enables informed decision-making in complex execution contexts without relying on premature optimisation or rigid process enforcement.