Speaking Of Reliability: Friends Discussing Reliability Engineering Topics | Warranty | Plant Maintenance

Creating a Culture of Innovation with Quality and Reliability Abstract Dianna and Carl discussing creating a culture of innovation with Quality and Reliability. Key Points Join Dianna and Carl as they discuss creating a culture of innovation with Quality and Reliability. Topics include: The innovation continuum, from company culture to individual interactions How to foster innovation in teams and between individuals Bell Labs, 3M, PAN-AM, Apple, and GM’s innovation Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Do you have ideas relating to the balance of innovation and your reliability work? Leave us a comment. Download Audio RSS Show Notes A culture of innovation requires space, value, and opportunity to be creative. Also needed are skills of evaluation, critique, and problem solving. It’s difficult to balance both. Companies can foster innovation by understanding that there are risks and that innovative ideas need different measures of success. Short-term profitability on new concepts can be unsupportive of development of new ideas. Those measures of success may extend into management metrics. Innovation isn’t limited to BIG ideas. Innovation exists on a continuum and extends into individual interactions. People can use inside-out thinking for innovative ideas while also evaluating with outside-in thinking. They also discuss ways to foster creativity on an individual level, and ways to work with a team during FMEAs to assist with a team’s creative instincts. The post SOR 897 Creating a Culture of Innovation with Quality and Reliability appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Quality and Reliability Management: Independence vs. Integration Abstract Carl and Dianna sharing experiences with different forms of managing quality and reliability activities. The importance of independence was compared to the importance of integrating with the design activities. What works, what doesn’t work, and why? Key Points Join Carl and Dianna as they discuss different ways to organize and manage quality and reliability support activities. Topics include: Which reporting structure works best for quality and reliability activities? Reporting to engineering, corporate, validation? Pros and cons for each. Consider independence factor: which reporting structure allows for independent evaluation? Consider integration factor: which reporting structure allows quality and reliability support to integrate most seamlessly with engineering? How quality and reliability is implemented is more important than the reporting structure. Avoid the same person or group straddling both “design for” and problem solving at same time; fire fighting will end up taking precedence, to the detriment of achieving reliability in design. Creating a favorable company culture is critical to achieving reliability in design. Be aware of how often management positions are changed; reliability in design can take years to achieve positive field results, and if management changes too often, it can impede the continuity of implementation. What matters most is not the reporting structure, but rather the level of support and continuity of support from management. Improving soft skills is essential to achieving reliability in design; reason is reliability is not done in a vacuum, but rather as part of a team; influencing others to make correct decisions is an important skill. Don’t merely point out what is wrong with designs, work to integrate with design teams to arrive at best solutions. Seek to interact with management, so that reliability solutions are adopted and supported by the decision makers. Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes   The post SOR 896 Q & R Management: Independence vs. Integration appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Product Reliability in Complex Supply Chains Abstract Dianna and Chris discussing product reliability in complex supply chains. Key Points Join Dianna and Chris as they discuss product reliability in complex supply chains. Topics include: manufacturers using components used outside of their original purpose relationships between manufacturers and suppliers supplier management cell phones, space products, electric bike suspension, medical devices, and Spidey senses Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes The types of things that makes complex supply chains is when: weak relationships with suppliers manufacturers don’t have a lot of choice with suppliers components that manufacturers use that aren’t intended for their market or their use environment Ways you can address issues: take the time to develop strong relationships with suppliers choose simpler and adaptable components facilitate the technical experts among many suppliers to come to an agreement speak to the “doers”! If you have a particular supplier story or article, please share it! The post SOR 895 Product Reliability in Complex Supply Chains appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Sustainability and Reliability Abstract Chris and Dianna discuss the relationship between reliability engineering and sustainability (or anything else that is environmentally friendly). Is there some link between the two? Key Points Join Chris and Dianna as they discuss how reliability engineering can support sustainability or environmentally friendly concerns. If you want to sell your product internationally, then you will need to comply with an entire array of evolving regulations (European Union, State of California, Iceland, and so on) that focus on environmentally conscious decisions. How can reliability engineering help? Topics include: Reliability engineering stops over-engineering (which lowers carbon footprints). Focusing on the ‘vital few’ weak points of a product means we don’t blindly double the size, mass, strength, and capacity of every component or element. Why does this help the environment? Because over-engineered products are heavier, bigger, and cost more to transport in terms of money and carbon dioxide. And often don’t last longer anyway. It’s not just regulations – it’s the customers. Customers are increasingly demanding that the things they buy are designed with the environment in mind. It is no longer a fad or a trend. It is a movement. And things like FMEAs are really good at taking whatever characteristic you think is important into consideration. It’s not just regulations or customers – it’s money. Electronic devices often use a lot of solder to connect capacitors, transistors, and resistors to PCBs. And it takes a lot of thermal energy to melt the solder during manufacture. Bismuth-based solder (replacing the nasty, toxic lead-based solder) melts at a lower temperature, so you need to use less electricity (and spend less money). But bismuth-based solder is more brittle. So reliability engineers need to help with this transition. And what happens with your products when they are done? Plastic bags take centuries to degrade (if they ever do). Why should grocery stores not spend an extra couple of cents per bag to make it biodegradable, and instead require taxpayers to fund the disposal and storage of these materials in landfills? … and animals aren’t a big fan of plastics either. Nor are they a fan of batteries (like those from electric vehicles) once they stop being useful. Sustainability needs to be in the ‘DNA’ of an organization. It can’t be left up to someone to be the ‘environmental’ or ‘sustainability’ person. That simply means everyone else stops thinking about sustainability and the environment because ‘someone else’ is tasked with doing it. So it never happens. Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes   The post SOR 894 Sustainability and Reliability appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Where is Reliability Training Going? Abstract Chris and Carl discuss where reliability engineering training is going … noting that Chris and Carl do a lot of it. Key Points Join Chris and Carl as they discuss where reliability engineering training, where it is at, where it is going … and where it should be going. Both Chris and Carl do a lot of reliability engineering training … so what do they think? Topics include: The ‘traditional’ way? … is perhaps the stereotypical ‘dot point’ lesson where the instructors go through information one step at a time, and it is then up to the students to write down that information, in their own time review that information, and otherwise try to memorize that information. There are many problems with this, starting with the fact that people will very, very quickly forget stuff they memorize just to demonstrate ‘compliance’ with learning objectives. Why? … because this training is not fun, and it doesn’t come with a story or narrative. What have we learned? Carl in particular has decades of experience in delivering training for things like Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEAs). This can be a dry topic! But the trick is to interact and engage. We need students to think about what they are learning. And a good way of doing that is to try and make the student apply what they are being learned to what they do and how it can help them. Where are we going? Chris in particular is working on developing avatar-based training … where scriptwriters work iteratively on improving the ‘perfect’ way of explaining what can be sophisticated topics. The benefit is that the narrative can be perfected iteratively. But the problem is that it is not truly interactive. But … this is where experience comes in. We need to be able to understand and anticipate the likely questions and ways to engage students to unlock the potential of fully online ‘avatar’ training. … but you need to keep learning … to teach other people have to learn. You can’t ever beat having the right ‘personality’ to teach. Do you have any experiences (good/bad/indifferent) regarding teaching and learning? … feel free to share with us! Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes The post SOR 893 Where is Reliability Training Going? appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Where are FMEAs (and their standards) Heading? Abstract Carl and Chris discussing the future of FMEA, sharing their vision for where this method is headed. Key Points Where are FMEAs (and their standards) Heading? Abstract Carl and Chris discussing the future of FMEA, sharing their vision for where FMEA as a method is headed, as well as where we think it should be headed. Key Points Join Carl and Chris as they discuss the standards and methodology of FMEA, and analyze the trends that impact its use and value. What are the trends that affect FMEAs:? Are they positive of negative? The two types of FMEA users Should you follow FMEA standards exactly, or can they be tailored to your application? Understanding the fundamentals of FMEA is essential to properly use FMEA standards The role of Corrective Actions in applying FMEAs Next generation of FMEA standard is SAE 1025 Keep your eye on the ball: reduce risk to acceptable level We don’t need both acronyms FMEA and FMECA; both have a criticality analysis. FMEAs that are done early in the product development process are usually qualitative. Future is to use specific selection criteria to select when FMEA is used; preliminary risk assessment Future is to balance automation of selective portion of FMEAs, with team involvement on high-risk areas. Future is an integration of Model-Based Engineering with FMEA procedure Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes   The post SOR 892 Where are FMEAs (and their standards) Heading? appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Last Minutism Abstract Greg and Fred discussing why do folks wait to the last minute to get important things done.  We go beyond procrastination to understand the basics of last minutism. Key Points Join Greg and Fred as they discuss practical tips and tools to avoid last minutism. Topics include: What is last minutism behavior? Why do we all do this? What can you go to accept, avoid, or even control your last minutism? Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes   The post SOR 891 Last Minutism appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Hero Syndrome Abstract Greg and Fred discuss why heros who fly in to fix a failing project or product recall get all the attention, praise and promotions.  But, the folks who maintain the systems day in and day out are often neglected, forgotten, or even dismissed. Key Points Join Greg and Fred as they discuss fire fighting Hero Syndrome found in many companies. Topics include: What is the Hero Syndrome? Why do companies reward Hero behavior and dismiss daily system improvement and project results behavior? How can you become a Hero maintaining systems and improving processes? Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes   The post SOR 890 Hero Syndrome appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Becoming a Consultant Abstract Chris and Fred discuss how to become a reliability engineering consultant. Is this something you are interested in? Key Points Join Chris and Fred as they discuss how you go about becoming a reliability engineering consultant. There are lots of consultants out there … so surely it is easy to do … right? Topics include: Consulting is like parenthood. Everyone knows what parenthood technically entails before you become one. But until you become a parent, you don’t really understand what it is like. Same with consulting. You might be able to technically understand what a consultant does and how they earn money, but until you take the plunge and become used to not having money coming in between clients, spend more time on marketing yourself than your actual work and so on, you can’t understand precisely what it takes. If consulting was easy, then everyone would be doing it. Some people like the idea of being a consultant (being your own boss, setting your own schedule, answering to no one et cetera). But you need to be extroverted, engaging, and able to communicate how you can change the life of your potential clients. You might be the world’s best reliability engineer, but if you can’t seek out and make connections with prospective clients, it won’t matter. Not having a good resumé means you won’t get hired. Only having a good resumé also means you won’t get hired. A lot of ‘wannabe’ consultants believe that all they need to have is a set of qualifications and experience that dominates everyone else. These same ‘wannabe’ consultants get angry and frustrated when consultants they deem inferior get more work than they do. Resumés don’t tell clients how you are good at solving problems. This comes from your communication and messaging. I’m not going to share my knowledge through articles and podcasts and webinars … people need to pay me for that! Consulting is based on Karma. The more you share, the more you get back. If you don’t share at least some of your knowledge, and how you are skillful at implementing the tools and skills contained within your knowledge … then how does anyone else know how good you are? You have to share lots of knowledge and be prepared to help lots of people without the guarantee of reward in order to convince people that you are the right person for the job. Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes The post SOR 889 Becoming a Consultant appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

The Role of Regulations Abstract Chris and Fred discuss the role of regulations … good, bad and ugly. Key Points Join Chris and Fred as they discuss how regulations can help, hinder and delude us when it comes to making things safe and reliable. Regulations without a doubt have contributed to the saving of many lives over the years by preventing things from failing. Regulations have also been used (and abused) to try and find the cheapest, nastiest, and ugliest solutions to problems that have been disastrous. So what gives? Topics include: Let’s think of aircraft … like Cessnas. Cessnas are reliable aircraft. However, there is no motivation to continually improve the design and manufacture of these machines that were originally conceived in the 1950s. Why? Because that would require full re-certification (which is costly and time-consuming). So there is a financial disincentive to make anything better. Even moving from hand welding to machine welding is out. In isolation … this is not OK. For the bigger picture where we have this blanket need to recertify to ensure only good changes are made? … what do you think? … then there is Boeing. Who essentially hijacked the regulatory process and perverted it in the lead-up to the Boeing 737 Max aircraft disasters, where substantially new aircraft were argued as being ‘minor’ changes to an already certified airframe and did not need full recertification. This did not have a good outcome. So what are ‘regulations’ anyway? They are nothing more than rules decreed by human beings. They are as perfect as the humans making them. Which means that they are not perfect. They do not ‘precede’ technology. For example, regulated safety features in motor vehicles such as seatbelts, airbags, and ABS braking systems only became regulations after manufacturers made them standard in at least some of their models (which is why autonomous vehicles feel like they are perpetually ‘stalled’ in regulatory compliance). So the bottom line? Don’t outsource critical thinking. Make sure that your products are reliable AND comply with regulations. Just because something complies with regulations doesn’t mean it is reliable. And vice versa. Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches. Download Audio RSS Show Notes The post SOR 888 The Role of Regulations appeared first on Accendo Reliability.