A force field analysis is a tool in the quality toolbox. Its typical use case is to help a team analyze a change by understanding the forces involved. We can also use it to help us solve a problem.

We can use a force field analysis to understand nuances or to get a handle on a change that involves many different people or departments.

We envision a force field analysis as a football field during a game. Listen-in and then gather your team and try it out for your next change!

Visit the podcast blog for links to related episodes. 

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

There is a lot of use information about a new product concept that we can develop, even if we don't have an engineering prototype. We want this information especially before we start prototyping!

We talk about what type of information we can gather and a stepwise approach to get it with our cross-functional team.

Do you want to explore a little more?

How to Self-Advocate for More Customer Face Time (and why it’s important)

Product Design from a Marketing Viewpoint, with Laura Krick (A Chat with Cross Functional Experts)

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is not a substitute for product test. It can be used as a supplement to design and test. There are lots of ways to use it during design: to evaluate differences in prototype options, as test inputs, and even to help with root cause analysis.

We talk about FEA and when to work with Quality Engineers and Reliability Engineers for next steps.

Visit the podcast blog for links to additional resources. 

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

What are 2 lessons about remote work, coming out of the pandemic? We talk about a couple of perspectives that can apply to design engineering:

• Feedback from our friends that were remote pre-pandemic
• Being intentional about gaining a frame of reference

Have you done a lessons learned about your communications, coming out of the pandemic? What are you carrying forward into the next phase of your engineering career? Leave me a comment on the podcast blog, and maybe you'll inspire others with your idea, too. 

Related QDD episodes: 

Gemba for Product Design Engineering

Internal Customers vs. External Customers

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

We don't just rely on the numbers - we always plot the data! We review how we use plots to look past the numbers, and to be aware of common gotchas.

Visit the podcast blog to comment.

Related, previous QDD episodes:
How to Handle Competing Failure Modes - Quality During Design 

Discrete Data vs. Continuous Data - Quality During Design 

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

Supplier control plans and design specs can go hand-in-hand in the quest for quality. 

Control plans aren't just for quality professionals! Learn how partnering with suppliers for a simple control plan can benefit your design process.

Visit the podcast blog for a list of benefits.

Want to explore controls a little further? Try these other QDD episodes: 

Prevention Controls vs. Detection Controls

How many controls do we need to reduce risk?

Design Specs vs. Process Control, Capability, and SPC

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

Our manufacturing friends are approaching us with a problem.

They want to test the product during manufacturing. The way the product is currently designed doesn't let them do this, or not easily.

Can we make a design change so they can test?

Imagine that they're coming to us with this question before we've completed the design. Can they really see the future?

Perhaps, with strategic use of FMEA. We talk through a scenario of how to do it.

Visit this podcast blog to add a comment. 
 

These other QDD episodes expand on some concepts:

Design Specs vs. Process Control, Capability, and SPC

Prevention Controls vs. Detection Controls

Use FMEA to Choose Critical Design Features

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

We're heading into pilot production, where some initial parts might be made.

We've got to finish those design specs and engineering drawings!

• Manufacturing wants to start cutting steel for molds. 
• Suppliers want to work out the specs on their end. 
• QA is asking what they should inspect. 

Before you pass it along, have you identified what features are critical? Does it align with managing risk? And are you communicating that effectively on your specs and drawings?

Creating design specs is an important part of engineering design. We review a way to choose critical design features, based on risk.

Check out these other podcast episodes to further explore some of these topics:

• The Way We Test Matters
• Designing Specs for QA

Visit the podcast blog for links to related episodes.

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

We can get stuck when trying to discover a solution to a problem.

We talk about a Nine Windows tool and TRIZ - more thought-provoking methods that we can use to get unstuck and move on to the next step.

Visit the podcast blog for graphics and lots of helpful links.

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in. 

We can get stuck when trying to discover a solution to a problem. Sometimes it helps to expand our thinking into other avenues. We can reframe our problem within its contradictions. What is it not?

We review an Is/Is-Not Matrix: how it's built, its purpose, and how it can help us.

Visit the podcast blog for the matrix. 

Send us a message

If your team is still catching problems too late — let's talk.
→ Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

Get the full framework.
→ Pierce the Design Fog 

ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in.