Effective configuration management enables organizations to navigate change, update configurations, and maintain the identity and integrity of complex systems.
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.
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.
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.
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 is an important manufacturing metric. It measures the effectiveness of a process and provides an indication of how well we are eliminating waste.
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.
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.
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