The right time to assess an engineering project is as soon as it’s wrapped-or after its key parts have been completed. When the project’s still fresh on everyone’s mind, team members are able to offer pointed feedback and take a good look at what went wrong and what went right in the work they’ve just completed.

For this reason, more and more engineers are adopting after-action reviews (AAR), which are short, focused, assessment meetings to help with project management. The U.S. Army is credited with instituting formal AARs in the 1970s, said Ken Downer, founder of RapidStart Leadership, a company offering leadership skills training, by holding meets directly after an action has occurred, everyone can learn quickly from soldiers’ experiences in the field.

AARs are essentially a quick huddle after an event to create awareness and consensus around three questions: what went well, what didn’t, and what the group should do differently next time. Organizations of all types, across all industries-including those in engineering and manufacturing-can benefit from an ongoing review process.