The Iterative Development Process in Modern Product Development The iterative development process is not a single activity or phase—it is a system of interconnected disciplines working together throughout the product lifecycle. The attached graphic illustrates this system as a set of interlocking gears, each representing a critical capability required to move from concept to successful […]
Welcome to the Project Management Failure Olympics Ah, project management failure, the unsung art form of modern enterprise! Anyone can deliver a project successfully—boring. But to craft a truly magnificent fiasco? That takes vision, overconfidence, and a Gantt chart that looks like spaghetti. The goal isn’t to finish the project. No, it’s to appear incredibly busy while chaos spreads […]
What PPAP Is Trying To Achieve (And Often Does) At its best, PPAP in manufacturing is a structured way to prove that a supplier’s process can repeatedly produce parts that meet all customer and regulatory requirements. The AIAG PPAP intent aligns with Ioan Feloniuk’s framing: demonstrate that design intent, process capability, and evidence are in place […]
The ROI Trap in Equipment Maintenance Decisions It is cool when I hear engineers early in their career chat with me about their engineering, both design and manufacturing. about, well, I want to say face-palm moments. One such example is when executives often ask for ROI on equipment maintenance numbers, even though the line has long […]
The Growing Myth of OTA Quick Fixes The automotive industry loves the promise of OTA software updates. The idea that misbehavior in the field can be “fixed remotely” has become part of both product strategy and marketing. Industry voices often proclaim, “If something goes wrong, we’ll just push an update.” Yet, rising software-related recalls and increasing regulatory scrutiny tell a […]
When the Schedule Is “Managed” but Still Sinking Not everything can be turned into a process—especially in product development, where discovery and uncertainty are unavoidable. But there is a dangerous gap between acknowledging uncertainty and pretending it is under control. The image illustrates a familiar scenario: a project manager confidently “monitoring and controlling” while the […]
BOM Data Integrity in a “Post‑BOM” World (and Why I Disagree) Reading “2026 – The year we have to unlearn BOMs!” immediately brought back decades of scars from broken configurations, field failures, and costly recalls rooted in poor BOM data integrity. The thesis that classic assemblies and traditional BOM thinking have become obsolete misses […]
When the Margin Is Unknown, Control Becomes Reaction Not everything can be turned into a process. This is especially true in early product development, where learning, discovery, and iteration dominate. However, when ambiguity persists beyond its appropriate stage—especially around dimensions, tolerances, and margins—organizations unintentionally transfer risk downstream. The image illustrates a simple truth: when the […]
When Testing Competes with the Calendar Not everything can be turned into a process—especially early in product development, where learning is still underway. However, one decision consistently creates downstream damage: allowing testing to compete directly against launch dates. The image captures a familiar and dangerous scenario—standing still on the tracks while “time to ship” accelerates […]
Problems Are Symptoms of Unmanaged Risk by Jon M Quigley This post is in response to an article on LinkedIn from Habib ur Rehman on blaming operator mistake as the root cause, and operator training as corrective action. This article is very timely, as I have been involved in consulting work where this situation was […]