Design engineers are faced with increasingly complex product designs, accelerating design cycles, and persistent supply chain constraints. Research shows that design cycles are accelerating, leading to the creation of larger design teams with a wider range of skills and expertise.

According to a global survey of design engineers conducted by connector innovation company Molex and announced on the 27th, 65% of respondents said that improvements in design tools, technological innovations, and new design methodologies over the past three to five years have streamlined the effort required for their work. Despite this, several factors remain impeding progress and innovation in design engineering, including supply chain issues, rising customer expectations, and increasing design complexity.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents said their design teams have grown in size and number of people (52%) over the past five years, and 58% said their design cycles have become faster. 43% said design organizations were more likely to complete projects ahead of schedule.

An overwhelming majority of respondents agreed that collaboration skills are just as important as technical expertise, with German respondents most emphasizing the need to manage increasing levels of collaboration (19% in Germany, 11% globally).

Additionally, 53% of respondents are embracing and strengthening their efforts to improve their work through agility and continuous improvement and delivery. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said they are experimenting using laboratories or innovation centers, such as "maker places."

In terms of skills and specialization, 66% of respondents reported that their company's design team, on average, has more experience than a few years ago. Furthermore, the need for a diverse range of skills and deep expertise in specialized areas has increased. Respondents identified supply chain management (40%), workforce skills (39%), digital technologies (37%), new design tools (32%), artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (28%), as well as user experience and form factor (25%) as areas where typical design engineers need to improve their skills.

In terms of age and gender, younger engineers and female engineers showed the greatest expectations for integrating innovative digital technologies into product design.

In particular, millennials showed the greatest interest in financial knowledge (33%) and AI and machine learning (39%), while Generation X engineers showed interest in each item at 14% and 32%, respectively, and baby boomer engineers showed interest at 10% and 16%, respectively.

Most respondents (81%) wanted to continue working in their current industry, while 13% were seeking experience in other industries.

Design engineers take their role seriously, with 85% reporting a sense of responsibility once the final design is approved. The most challenging challenge for design engineers was understanding supplier risks (34%), followed by access to components and materials (30%), learning new technologies (24%), and balancing manufacturing needs with customer requirements (24%).

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they have great flexibility and control over supplier selection. The most important factors in supplier management were supply chain reliability (54%), engineering support and expertise (43%), and attractive pricing (38%). The ongoing supply chain shortages have led engineers to respond in a variety of ways, including choosing alternatives (59%), minimizing production volumes (43%), and removing features that were planned during the product design phase (40%).

Looking at global views and regional differences, design engineers worldwide hold similar views, but Chinese respondents showed a notable increase in team size (94%) and experience (97%) compared to other regions.

Additionally, Chinese respondents were twice as likely to complete projects ahead of schedule, at 92%, compared to 43% globally. As for the biggest challenge to be addressed, Japanese respondents ranked the need for adequate testing plans (31% in Japan, 21% globally), while UK respondents ranked the need to deliver the required quality (28% in the UK, 26% in Japan, 20% globally).

“Today’s design engineers are creating the most innovative products for tomorrow,” said Aldo Lopez, president of Molex’s Data Communications and Professional Solutions business. “This global survey demonstrates how engineers are diversifying their skills by embracing new design tools and digital technologies, reducing challenges and accelerating the delivery of world-class products.”

Meanwhile, these results were based on a survey conducted by Dimensional Research, commissioned by Molex and Digi-Key Electronics, of 528 professionals who work as design engineers or manage design engineering teams at manufacturing companies. Respondents were from the United States, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.