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 — […]

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. […]

What is 2D Barcode Traceability? 2D barcode (also known as QR Code or Data Matrix) traceability drives modern manufacturing efficiency by linking every product to its digital records, including build instructions and test data. Unlike traditional labels, 2D barcodes such as Data Matrix or QR codes can encode a unique job ID, serial number, or […]

Jon M Quigley The Benefits of Swim Lane Process Flows for Engineering, Manufacturing, and Procurement Swim lane process flow benefits in product development.  Product development is a complex journey that involves multiple teams and departments, including engineering, manufacturing, and procurement.  This requires coordination across the board, not optimization of a single department, but balancing the […]

Jon M Quigley Change is inevitable, including in the manufacturing industry. Whether it’s for cost reduction, supplier updates, design improvements, or compliance requirements, moving from one version of components on a manufacturing line to another is a critical process that must be carefully controlled to protect product quality and continuity. The process begins with the Engineering Change […]

Work Instruction Updates: Capturing Continuous Improvement and Tribal Knowledge By Jon M Quigley Why Work Instruction Updates Matter Work instruction updates are more than administrative chores; they are potent tools for continuous improvement and the preservation of tribal knowledge. As organizations adapt to changing customer needs, technological shifts, and workforce turnover, the need to capture, […]

Configuration Management Vehicle Platforms – Practices for Multi-Project Success In the dynamic world of vehicle platform development, configuration management is more crucial than ever. As manufacturers innovate, multiple projects often require changes across various vehicle systems built on the same platform. Ensuring seamless, high-quality integration demands robust strategies―especially branching and merging―to keep development efficient and […]

Why You Should Stop Calling It an Engineering Change and Start Saying Enterprise Change When I hear the phrase Engineering Change, alarm bells go off in my head. Not because I have something against engineers—I am one—but because the term limits the conversation and the scope of our thinking. In my decades of experience, I’ve […]

The Need for Transparency in Testing In the high-stakes world of automotive product development, demands to deliver vehicles on schedule often collide with the critical necessity for transparency in testing results. When timelines tighten and executive pressure mounts, the temptation to “fast-track” projects at the expense of rigorous verification grows. Yet, ensuring transparency in testing […]

Prototype Parts vs Production Parts: Understanding Key Differences and the Path to Production Introduction The journey from an initial concept to a finished product involves several crucial stages, including prototyping and production. For both engineers and procurement teams, it’s vital to understand the differences between prototype parts, their uses, and the technical, regulatory, and supply chain […]