by Kim H Pries Our experience shows us that configuration management lies at the very heart of professional engineering and product growth. Just to be able to run an ERP or MRP system requires a standard for nomenclature and identification of parts (including software). We mark changes to parts and software with changes to part […]

by Kim H. Pries Some people find terms such as configuration management and change management to be confusing and they are unsure what they mean and what the difference could be. We consider change management to be a higher order concept that includes the idea of configuration management. Let’s discuss configuration management first! Classical configuration […]

by Kim H Pries When we are engaged in prototype development during the early to late middle phases of our new product delivery process, we usually purchase components through maintenance, repairs, and operation (MRO) purchasing. This type of purchasing is managed on an as-needed basis, and often, is not automated. We purchase the parts we […]

by Jon M Quigley When we have a short project schedule, we need to learn from our prototype as quickly as possible. Rapid prototyping is a rational approach to a shorten schedule that does not come at the risk or cost level of skipping prototypes or starting the next level of prototype before we have […]

by Jon M Quigley Simulation activities can help evoke the requirements for a product without actually having to build the product first to learn something. Simulation need not be highly technical, though it can be. I have seen simulation of screens for an instrument cluster human machine interface (HMI) that made use of excel links […]

by Jon M Quigley A few recent experiences have led me to believe many do not know the reason for prototype parts. Consider organizations that employ an iterative process for developing products. The automotive world typically uses this sort of product development method. In iterative product development, we build increments of the product learning from […]

by Jon M Quigley I sit in awe at the variety of things that can be built with Lego. One is bound only by one’s imagination. However the wonders of modularity are much more than kids play and business and engineering can learn considerable from these ideas. Even before I was playing Lego’s with my […]

By Jon M Quigley In our previous blog post, we discussed PPAP and objectivity or the check the box mentality. What happens when we communicate in an overly optimistic way?  Below is an exchange between a supplier project management as well as the customer project management and a line manager responsible for verification. Chief Project […]

by: Jon M Quigley and Wally Stegall In the last blog post, we discussed how PPAP should be the quality system, although it is not in many cases.  One reason PPAP drops off the map after the start of production may have never been a concern during the design is the check box mentality.  Check […]