Moonman,
Wow starting off the year with a lively topic, forever stirring aren't you!
I have been hiding behind the new ISO standard for product realization to get some programs I have always wanted to work or work better especially in regards to DFM. We put a lot more emphasize on contract review, preproduction planning, first build analysis, reports of internal and external issues, Senior Manager product reviews (actual get off your butt and go look at the product, mainly mine),and task assignment/tracking to get all of the issues resolved to some extent. We are a better organization for it. We have learned more and first builds are actually anticipated but unfortunately there are many pitfalls.
I have seen a lot of DFM programs and unfortunately very few were successful. I used to do a lot of auditing and supplier management. It gave me the opportunity to get a glimpse of various companies across the US, Canada, and Mexico of almost every size. Common pitfalls that I have seen/lived through are:
Mentality of the Organization. What are your organizations beliefs. Do you work in an environment where the work is more of a in/out job shop, where no one really documents or defines the work requirements because Bob knows how to build it and we have never had a problem before so why worry? I was in a company in Indiana and we had a serious quality problem. I had a multi million dollar po on the line and a huge customer all of you would recognize. I was told by the US Sales Manager that well, they've never been sued before so there can't be a problem. I just about walked out but that is more of another story. The problem was process related and simple monitoring with a slight process change would take care of the whole deal. We knew it but they didn't. 6 Hours later they begrudged us and made the process change but there probably still isn't a true recognition to the root cause.
There lies another issue in DFM processes. Will effective change actually happen. What's the use of the checklists and all of the final reports without effective change occurring. This is probably the main issue when a DFM program is implemented and then falls to the wayside. The organization is all excited with the promise of improvement but then change doesn't occur or not fast enough and you lose your backing. More of a see nothing has changed attitude from different factions. Without a complete buy in from all in the organization all working towards a common goal no DFM will work. Another cringer is when upper Manager's want change but are unwilling to live the example of their expectations.
These are pitfalls no amount of procedures can help. It is a basic question of proof in the pudding, commitment, living a work environment were the Management leads by example without rules changing for political reasoning.
In our DFM program all of the activities are the Quality Department's responsibility. I was pretty upset when this was first thrown at me but I wasn't looking at the potential of change I could drive but the work into an already busy schedule. I wouldn't have it any other way now but I still have a few gripes about how it was handled and why. I have the opportunity to make positive changes and improvements. I also get to learn more about processes and product designs, learning is never a bad thing.
I don't know were I will be in the DFM program a few years from now but I am sure there will be some sort of program. I won't give up the thoughts of DFM and the potential it brings. Hopefully it won't become another ISO requirement said with a lot of distaste because your forced not because your willing.
Well, you started it...... sorry so long.
Kathy
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META content="MSHTML 5.00.2919.6307" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY
style="FONT: 10pt Abadi MT Condensed Light; MARGIN-LEFT: 2px; MARGIN-TOP: 2px">
<DIV>Moonman, </DIV>
<DIV>Wow starting off the year with a lively topic, forever stirring aren't
you! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have been hiding behind the new ISO standard for product realization to
get some programs I have always wanted to work or work better especially in
regards to DFM. We put a lot more emphasize on contract review,
preproduction planning, first build analysis, reports of internal and external
issues, Senior Manager product reviews (actual get off your butt and go look at
the product, mainly mine),and task assignment/tracking to get all of the issues
resolved to some extent. We are a better organization for it. We
have learned more and first builds are actually anticipated but unfortunately
there are many pitfalls. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have seen a lot of DFM programs and unfortunately very few were
successful. I used to do a lot of auditing and supplier management.
It gave me the opportunity to get a glimpse of various companies across the US,
Canada, and Mexico of almost every size. Common pitfalls that I have
seen/lived through are:</DIV>
<DIV>Mentality of the Organization. What are your organizations
beliefs. Do you work in an environment where the work is more of a in/out
job shop, where no one really documents or defines the work requirements because
Bob knows how to build it and we have never had a problem before so why
worry? I was in a company in Indiana and we had a serious quality
problem. I had a multi million dollar po on the line and a huge customer
all of you would recognize. I was told by the US Sales Manager that
well, they've never been sued before so there can't be a problem. I just
about walked out but that is more of another story. The problem was
process related and simple monitoring with a slight process change would take
care of the whole deal. We knew it but they didn't. 6 Hours later
they begrudged us and made the process change but there probably still isn't a
true recognition to the root cause. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There lies another issue in DFM processes. Will effective change
actually happen. What's the use of the checklists and all of the final
reports without effective change occurring. This is probably the main
issue when a DFM program is implemented and then falls to the wayside. The
organization is all excited with the promise of improvement but then change
doesn't occur or not fast enough and you lose your backing. More of a see
nothing has changed attitude from different factions. Without a complete
buy in from all in the organization all working towards a common goal no DFM
will work. Another cringer is when upper Manager's want change but
are unwilling to live the example of their expectations. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>These are pitfalls no amount of procedures can help. It is a basic
question of proof in the pudding, commitment, living a work environment were the
Management leads by example without rules changing for political
reasoning. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In our DFM program all of the activities are the Quality Department's
responsibility. I was pretty upset when this was first thrown at me but I
wasn't looking at the potential of change I could drive but the work into an
already busy schedule. I wouldn't have it any other way now but I still
have a few gripes about how it was handled and why. I have the opportunity
to make positive changes and improvements. I also get to learn more about
processes and product designs, learning is never a bad thing. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I don't know were I will be in the DFM program a few years from now but I
am sure there will be some sort of program. I won't give up the thoughts
of DFM and the potential it brings. Hopefully it won't become another ISO
requirement said with a lot of distaste because your forced not because your
willing. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Well, you started it...... sorry so long. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kathy </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
|
