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System Engineering (SE) is utilized in structuring a product development process into simple and collaborative activities, while at the same time, supporting engineers’ decision-making. In most undergraduate engineering design courses, SE was taught by assigning industrial-like projects in which teams of students developed products using certain design methods while following structured design process. It has been observed that some design methods were adopted naturally and used effectively by students while some are less preferred. This is due to various reasons, from strict project deadlines to the fact that some methods are difficult to understand. In this paper, we studied these design methods in the context of senior design projects. We have observed students’ applications of these methods and conducted surveys to assess whether they believe these methods helped their design activities. This study will help us understand how to help students gain knowledge in product development through project-based learning, as well as provide some insights on how inexperienced engineers may use various design methods. 

The concept of Industry 4.0 was presented to upgrade the manufacturing systems of large enterprises or even countries. Although some implementation paradigms and frameworks for implementation have been developed, only a minute selection suit the special needs and characteristics of small to medium enterprises (SME’s). On the other hand, SME’s account for a significant market share of the economy, and are in great needs to modernize and diversity their manufacturing capabilities in order to remain competitive in today’s marketplace. In this paper, we present a framework for implementing Industry 4.0 in SME’s. As a work in progress, the product customization and manufacturing sections of the aforementioned framework are being implemented, which are being utilized by a local furniture maker for a custom order of wooden bookcases.