In a message dated 98-05-14 06:44:19 EDT, you write:

<< Hi TechNet!

 In a former life, I met the late Jim Bryan and was treated to several
 lectures on "What a 'process' is".  He also wrote a series of articles on
 this subject for PC Fab which I no longer have (sometimes you just have to
 clean house).

 Does anyone still have a copy of these articles they could fax to me?
 Please reply offline.  Also, I WILL contact PC Fab myself.

 Also, I would like to have the TechNet's opinion of what a 'process' is to
 them.  I am about to enter into this discussion with a bunch of assembly
 folks (I'm just a board guy, you know) who think I ought to be able to spec
 in the boards so they can go through all of their 'processes' no matter how
 they control them, several sites, one material.

 As I recall, (and, trust me, I used to be able to recite this in my sleep)
 Jim said that the process window had to be large enough so that a variety
 of materials can run through without a change in process parameters, and
 all of these materials will acquire the desired characteristics of the
 outcome of the process.  In other words, you shouldn't have to change your
 process every time something different comes along and you should be able
 to run a lot of different materials through your process.  A robust process
 has a window you could drive a truck through.

 Anyone care to continue this discussion?  My apologies to those who don't
 like this sort of thing on TechNet.

 Regards,

 Dave Sullivan
 Rockwell Collins >>

Good Morning Dave!

     What a interesting topic to start the day off with! First, I want to say
I'm sorry I can't help you with any of Jim Bryan's articles. I have to admit
I've never heard of him, or read any of his articles...but I would really be
interested to read them though.

      Second, I'd like to say you don't have to apologize for starting what I
think is a very good thread. I think that sometimes a lot of us get so deep
into the technical aspects of our jobs, that it's good to step back once in a
while and take a look at the big picture so to speak, of what it is we're
doing....

      So, what do I think a process is? Hmmmmm.....to me, that's kinda' tough
to define so that what I say is true in all cases, just as it is to define
what a "big window" is.

      What might be a considered a robust process with a "big window" to
someone working on a manufacturing floor at one company, would be a nightmare
trying to implement the same thing on the manufacturing floor at another
company..... everything is relative.

      The qualities and characteristics that I think define what a good
process is, I would have to say it's knowledgable human beings...it's as
simple as that.

      With knowledgable, well trained humans, it doesn't matter what type of
product or technology you're dealing with, there will be the capability of
adapting to any requirement that is needed.

      I've not been working in this industry as long as many of you have, I
started back in 1987 after I got out of the Navy. But in the 10-years that
I've been doing this, the one thing that I quickly learned in the beginning
and still goes on just as much today as it did back then, is what I call "Silo
Mentality".

      Somebody learns something and keeps it in their "Silo", never sharing
the knowledge with anybody else. It goes on between different companies as
well as between individuals or departments working together at the same
company...I guess if there's one thing that I miss about the military, is the
lack of that kind of thinking.

      Those of you that have been in the military know that there's a constant
effort put forth to make sure that everybody is well-trained and knowledgable
in whatever field they're in, so they can be prepared for any
situation...their lives depend on it.

       I know that my analogy might be kinda' hokey, but I think that many
times the process problems that we all see day in and day out have something
to do with not being aware of a problem because of the lack of knowledge. This
starts from the beginning of the process building a product, applies to all
people involved starting from the design engineer as well as the production
worker on the manufacturing floor...everybody needs to know what they're doing
from beginning to end in order to have a robust process with a big window...

       So when somebody asks me about the process I have where I work, or how
robust it is, I don't base my answer listing what kind of equipement we have,
or how many places we gather SPC data while the product is being built, I will
try to show them what level of knowledge and experience there is within the
human beings that are involved with our operation...and how we improve our
process through learning.

                                                  ...did I make any sense?

                                                     -Steve Gregory-

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