Bob, I'm in a rather similar situation. A company of 3000+, R&D locations on 3
continents and 2 islands. I am the sole remaining PCB designer.
To answer your questions first:
1. We have a set of company specific design standards, mostly to make sure
the data we receive is compatible with MRP and CAM standards, and it makes
it easier for me to pick up the "finished" job and, well, finish it. But we don't
keep a standard agreement, as the services we require change based on the
design.
2. If a company can not deliver what we have asked for, either during or at
the end, they don't get paid. In a situation such as yours, a mutual
agreement to terminate the effort, we would pay them for the part of the
work we can use, whatever did meet parts of the agreement. This has
happened before.
now the rant:
We laid off all the designers but me. We send the work to China, using
engineers with no PCB experience whatsoever, to do design and
documentation. Their cost is 1/3 of ours. It takes them 3x as long to deliver
a design. Between the time I spend getting them started and correcting
after, I spend 1.5x what it would take to do the design myself. To Sr.
management, this is cost savings. Lately, we have been contacting one of
the designers we laid off. We pay him almost what it cost when he was
employed here. And again, add in my time, so we're about even now. That
works well, except that he has another full time job, so turn time is longer.
And since I am stretched so thin, there have been errors - costly errors, and
reduced manufacturability.
Here's hoping the new "Undercover Boss" TV series starts opening some eyes.
Pete
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