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 […]
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 […]
By: Jon M Quigley When Process Helps—and When It Can’t We are a big fan of Aircraft Disasters on the Smithsonian Channel (at least that is where we watch it). This often appears in our written materials, including the occasional blog post. This post origins from the season 4 episode 7, “Catastrophe at O’Hare” as well […]
Manufacturing Repeatability and the Importance of Repeatable Processes Manufacturing organizations striving for predictable, high-quality output often discover that manufacturing repeatability is not achieved by accident—it is engineered through disciplined, repeatable processes. In competitive markets, manufacturers cannot rely on tribal knowledge or inconsistent practices; they must establish process stability that consistently converts raw materials into reliable […]
Know Your Manufacturing Process Baseline Before Improving Before diving into advanced line upgrades or expensive automation, the first step is to understand the manufacturing process baseline. What do you change if you do not know what needs to be changed and why? This involves collecting detailed data on how a manufacturing line currently performs — […]
Openness Builds Stronger Cultures In the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on a pattern that appears across high-performing, logic-driven organizations: brilliant teams slowly losing momentum because the fight to be proper overshadows the desire to understand. Then I saw this LinkedIn article, which is the genesis of this article. I have worked on teams […]
The genesis of this post is from a LinkedIn post: Common wisdom in manufacturing often holds that replicating the systems of successful giants, like Toyota, is the path to profitability. Yet, as the original post points out, many organizations meticulously follow the playbook—implementing 5S, 5-Why, and visual management—only to fail in the market. We have […]
Introduction: Feedback Loop Beginnings The genesis of this article is a text from a longtime friend, Jason Newton, from my UNCC days. He is a musician, not a mimic like I consider myself, and an engineer of high caliber. He sent me a shirt with a saying, “I only give Negative Feedback,” along with an Op-Amp […]
Introduction Every organization faces unexpected issues—but how you respond defines your success. When deviations from standard procedures are mismanaged or ignored, the result can be catastrophic: product recalls, regulatory fines, and irreparable brand damage. A deviation in manufacturing refers to a temporary or unplanned departure from approved procedures, specifications, or standards during the production process. […]
The PPAP Process Flow The PPAP process flow (Production Part Approval Process) is a cornerstone of modern manufacturing quality systems, particularly in automotive and industrial sectors. It ensures that every part delivered meets customer expectations by validating that the production process can consistently produce conforming components. PPAP is part of the Advanced Product Quality Planning […]