the following is my thesis so thanks Daan as usual: The second view is that test and inspection provide a measure of the effectiveness of the production process. Rather than simply netting defective units as they go by, the focus is on improving the process such that fewer defective units are produced in the first place. The key difference is the perception and use of test/inspection as a feedback tool. This difference is subtle, yet powerful, with far-reaching economic implications, and it requires a holistic view of the manufacturing process and an understanding of the synergy between process, inspection and test. Earl --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL To recieve ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search previous postings at: www.ipc.org > On-Line Resources & Databases > E-mail Archives Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------