What Is IATF 16949 Standard? The IATF 16949 standard is the global benchmark for automotive quality management systems, built on ISO 9001 and tailored to the automotive supply chain. It defines how organizations design, develop, produce, install, and service automotive products while continually improving, preventing defects, and reducing variation and waste. Standards often get 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 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 […]
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 […]
The PFMEA–Control Plan Connection in Manufacturing A robust PFMEA connected to a control plan strategy is essential when launching a new manufacturing line or improving an existing one. The Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) identifies where and how a process might fail, while the control plan documents how those risks will be monitored, […]
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 […]
Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) Overview In product development, acceptance testing is a cornerstone of predictable, high-quality system deployment. As one of the authors of Configuration Management Theory and Practice, Testing of Complex and Embedded Systems, and multiple industry articles, I often emphasize that product and system verification must validate performance across both controlled […]
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 — […]
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 […]