Mind Your Ps and Qs

When Documented Work Instructions Don’t Match Reality

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Tribal knowledge, such as a unique method of soldering a specific component, is often lost when an assembly line is transferred to another location.

ADAS Technology Increases Complexity of Assembly

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Assembly processes that were once relatively mundane, such as windshield installation, now require more effort and precision.

Water and EV Batteries Don’t Mix

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:30:00 -0500

While most EVs are designed to handle inclement weather, flooding poses unique challenges that can lead to battery failures and even safety hazards.

To Ensure Quality, Connect PFMEA, Control Plans and Testing

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 09:00:00 -0400

PFMEA ensures that the prototype parts from the assembly line meet quality expectations, thereby maturing the manufacturing processes.

Chesterton’s Fence and the Art of Process Improvement

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Chesterton’s Fence serves as a symbolic reminder that what may appear unnecessary or obsolete at first glance may have a purpose integral to the system.

The Ship of Theseus: Lessons for Configuration Management

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Effective configuration management enables organizations to navigate change, update configurations, and maintain the identity and integrity of complex systems.

To Cut Costs, Think Beyond Procurement

Tue, 02 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Recently, I was consulting with a procurement group, one of its OEM customers, and a product engineering firm. The goal was to find ways to reduce the cost of a particular product.

How to Adapt to Changes in Production Volume

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Organizations often have more than one manufacturing site, and each location might have its own specific strengths.

Know Your Manufacturing Readiness Level

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0400

The things I did when I was a kid or young adult are things I would not consider doing as an adult—well, most of them anyway. I started my exploration of transportation equipment with a tricycle.

Testing Tools Are Not Our Savior—But They Can Be Helpful

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Recently, I hired professionals to cut down some large, dead trees near my house. I then used a chainsaw to cut the trees into smaller, moveable pieces that I could chop for firewood.

The Automotive Industry and the Chip Shortage

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 10:32:00 -0500

We take for granted that our supply chains will deliver the products we desire, or at least we once did. We don't care about their complexity. How could there be complexity? They have always delivered reliably.

First-Pass Yield

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:07:00 -0400

First-pass yield is an important manufacturing metric. It measures the effectiveness of a process and provides an indication of how well we are eliminating waste.

Be Careful of Dogma on Assembly Lines

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 11:00:00 -0400

I am fortunate to have had a lengthy career of more than 30 years. I have held a variety of product development positions, and these experiences have influenced my thinking about how best to get things done.

Reward Proactive Action Over Firefighting

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 09:00:00 -0500

What is it about running in and saving the day, like in old Westerns, that individuals and companies enjoy? We may say that we would rather not have such drama on the shop floor, but all too often we set ourselves up for it in the end.

Understanding PPAP

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:20:00 -0400

The automotive industry describes its approach to product development and manufacturing in the advanced product quality planning (APQP) process.

Parts, Quarantine and Recovery

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0400

The story I am going to relate is true. However, since it is not very flattering, it has been sanitized to prevent finger-pointing. I’m telling this story because you may find yourself in the same circumstances when managing your supply chain, especially one distributed across the globe.

8D and A3 Formalize Problem-Solving

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 08:00:00 -0500

If you have been around for a while, you may recall the "Parts is Parts" commercial from the Wendy's fast-food chain. As bad as the "parts is parts" idea is for chicken sandwiches, it's equally bad for manufacturing.

Directed system or pull system—the schedule tango

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0500

In an earlier article, we dissected the project scope and explored the work breakdown structure (WBS). The WBS is the disaggregation of the scope into the work products that are required to meet the defined scope. Now, we are going explore setting about doing the work, from a schedule, or perhaps we will not even build a schedule.

What the heck is a WBS?

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 10:13:00 -0400

The fundamental start of any project is a scope of work document, which specifies what we want the project to achieve. The project scope may start out broadly described based upon business objectives, but it will become increasingly detailed over time.

DFMA Lets Engineers Focus on What They do Best

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0400

Raptor Performance in Concord, NC, designs and manufactures custom electronics for racing motorcycles and automobiles. The company's products are not for hobbyists, these are professional-grade parts.

Virtual reality aids design of assembly lines

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:25:00 -0400

In my first job after I received my engineering degree, I was designing hardware and writing software for embedded products for industrial applications. I had a simulator for the microcontroller.

Gauge repeatability and reproducibility

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 13:55:00 -0500

Despite a persistent and incremental march toward automation, people are still necessary for much of manufacturing. Perhaps that will always be true for certain segments.

Quality Products Start With Quality Projects

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 13:50:00 -0400

Project quality and product quality are different things, but they are inextricably linked—or they should be. It is possible for a project to seem successful and deliver the anticipated result, only to find out later the product is not what was expected.