We explore the critical transition from concept development to engineering solutions in product development, highlighting quality tools that bridge the gap between customer needs and technical design inputs.

In product development, there’s a critical transition point that often gets overlooked: the moment when we move from understanding customer needs to actually engineering solutions. This transition from the “problem space” to the “solution space” represents a significant shift in thinking and approach. After concept development (learning about customer needs, desired benefits, potential symptoms, and use scenarios) many teams struggle with how to translate this wealth of information into concrete design inputs.

Quality engineering and reliability tools play a crucial role in bridging this gap. Rather than relying solely on memory or making intuitive leaps from concept to design, these tools provide structured approaches to transform customer-focused insights into technical requirements. This isn’t a one-time process but an iterative one that extends the conversation started during concept development into the design phase, ensuring customer priorities remain central to technical decisions.

Tree diagrams represent one powerful approach to this translation process. Consider a simple example: during concept development, you might identify that customers want a “simple unpacking method” for your product. Through a tree diagram, you can break this vague driver into specific design inputs. Perhaps you discover two potential solutions: arranging parts in the box according to assembly order or ensuring access to assembly instructions before unpacking parts. The tree diagram helps distinguish between what needs to be accomplished (a design requirement) versus how it might be accomplished (a specific implementation). This clarity prevents prematurely locking into implementation details while keeping focus on essential customer needs.

Another valuable approach involves using matrices inspired by Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology. These matrices allow teams to map relationships between customer-desired features and potential design inputs. By evaluating the strength of these relationships (strong, medium, or weak), teams can identify gaps, redundancies, and priorities. Are there customer features with no strong relationship to any design input? Are there proposed requirements that don’t address any customer need? The visual nature of these matrices facilitates team discussions and drives consensus on design priorities that balance customer satisfaction with technical feasibility.

Beyond tree diagrams and matrices, teams can leverage other quality tools to further refine their approach. Risk analyses through System FMEAs help address potential failure modes identified during concept development. Task analyses using Perception-Cognition-Action frameworks evaluate how customers interact with process outputs and control inputs. These structured approaches ensure that information gathered during concept development continues to inform design decisions throughout product development, focusing engineering efforts on what matters most to customers.

The beauty of these quality tools lies in their ability to maintain continuity between concept development and detailed design. Rather than treating concept development as a completed phase whose outputs are filed away, these tools ensure that the rich, prioritized data about customer experiences directly translates into actionable design inputs.

By deciding what you must learn next and selecting appropriate quality tools to address those questions, you create a seamless progression from understanding customer needs to delivering solutions that truly satisfy them. This thoughtful translation process ultimately leads to products that customers love, with less rework and fewer costly design changes later in development.

Prioritizing Technical Requirements with a House of Quality

Quality as a Strategic Asset vs. Quality as a Control

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Emily Wilkins joins CMMSradio to share her journey into launching Marketing Metal, her passion for the manufacturing space and the people of manufacturing, and a ton of other insights.  Lots of shout outs in this episode as a lead up to IMTS happening in Chicago September 9-14, 2024!

Episode shout outs:

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Here’s a very special episode for you!! It’s The Ethan Almighty Story with Jeff Callaway of Kentucky Humane Society! We discuss how they use Brightly but quickly focus in on the story of Ethan on CMMSradio recorded from Brightly Illuminate 2024 in Raleigh NC. Ethan, sometimes called Hero Dog, is a true fighter that was literally minutes away from death. His story is out there and Jeff Callaway, his handler and owner (“I knew that is my dog”), tells some of the story here. You can find the story everywhere. BE sure to visit https://ethanalmighty.com/ or find Ethan on Facebook here:   / ethanalmighty-100085380373853   and keep an eye out for the movie!! Ethan Almighty!! Thank you, Jeff, for sitting down with us to record this episode about facilities management at the Kentucky Humane Society, how you use Brightly, and the amazing story of Ethan!! We look forward to watching the journey and seeing you again one day soon!

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The Maintenance Journey and How a CMMS Fits into Pursuing Maintenance Excellence!

They’re making something innovative at the Oshkosh Defense Spartanburg SC plant.  We’ll get into that and a whole lot more. 

We had the honor and pleasure of hosting Trent McJunkin, CMRP, Facilities & Maintenance Manager at Oshkosh Defense for a journey story conversation that shows how Trent got into the space, where he “cut his teeth,” and how mentors along the way shaped his growth into a true leader!  We get into the role a CMMS plays and there’s a reveal at the end.  We’ll see who catches that!! 

Christer is a world-renowned expert within Reliability and Maintenance. His career began in the Swedish merchant marine where he started developing the fundamentals of his Results Oriented Reliability and Maintenance Management concept. During the last 40 years this concept has evolved during his time as mechanic crafts person, engineer, manager, consultant, educator, philosopher, reliability guru and company leader.

He is the author of literally thousands of articles and is the winner of numerous awards. Often referred to as the Godfather of Reliability, his memoir Knocking Bolts details his journey's throughout the world and how those experiences directly tie to Reliability and Maintenance.

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In this episode, I speak with Sandeep Jadhav about Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Maintenance and Reliability.

We discuss the implementation of Machine Learning in the Industry, the challenges it presents, and what can be done to implement it successfully.

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Watch this video, or listen, if you want some real talk about those VPs that parachute in and start making changes – It’s more of a call to action not just a critique – Ton’s of real insights throughout this episode with George Williams, CEO of ReliabilityX, telling it like it is for us all to benefit.

We discuss the challenges and dynamics of maintenance management and technology. How high-level decisions by VPs, often lacking hands-on experience, can disrupt maintenance operations. The importance of asking tough, honest questions during interviews and discussions to truly benefit the industry. 

George outlines upcoming courses on asset management and CMMS utilization, highlighting their system-agnostic approach. This conversation underscores the commitment to community and knowledge-sharing, focusing on improving practices and achieving win-win outcomes in maintenance and reliability.

The post CR086: Getting Real About Maintenance VPs Transparency and CMMS with George Williams on CMMSradio appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Today, I'm joined by two of the most respected names in the electronics manufacturing industry, Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall. Together, they bring decades of hands-on experience and unparalleled insight into the challenges and solutions within our field.

Jim and Phil are the driving forces behind ITM Consulting, where they help manufacturers around the world improve processes, solve complex problems, and build more reliable products.

Whether it's soldering, cleaning, reflow profiling, process control, or failure analysis, these two have seen it all, fixed it all, and taught it all.

In this episode, we tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the industry today, from the challenges of miniaturization, the reality of voiding, to the rise of electronics deployed into harsh environments, to IPC standards, and the role of process control in ensuring long-term reliability.

Whether you’re a process engineer, a quality manager, or simply passionate about electronics manufacturing, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

ITM Consulting:

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