The traditional engineering processes ensure that safe and robust products are being developed. However, the growing demand for innovative solutions in short time scales drives the need for a cultural change in the way we work in engineering. Looking at the traditional product life cycle we see that important design decisions tend to be made early during the concept design phase before detailed analysis or test data are available. Data analysis techniques in combination with classical engineering tools can practically help to resolve that conflict by making more useful information available earlier in the process. Consequently the entire process can become more effective.