Manufacturing plays a BIG Role in Product Quality

We have spent some energy on the development of the product design, discussing the sorts of activities we will undertake to assure the product quality.  A quality design without the ability to produce the desired quality product is one-half of the solution.  Therefore, just like our design specific activities we have actions we take to mature the manufacturing line, assess the capability, and continue to grow the line capability.

Manufacturing Quality Activities

A few examples of the types of activities that happen during the manufacturing are[1]:

1. Packaging
2. Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis
3. Floor Plan Layout
4. Process Flow Chart
5. Work Station Instructions
6. Poke Yoke
7. Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility
8. Run at Rate
9. Trial Production Runs
10. Measurement System Analysis
11. Process (Production) Verification
12. Control Charts

Manufacturing Activity and Quality and Risk

Each of these activities has a particular objective or risk mitigating benefit.  Packaging ensures we can deliver the product from the point of manufacture to the end customer.  Additionally, Pilot runs are used to check the equipment and confirm the defined processes interact in the desired way.  The line is not stressed so few quantifying statements can be made on the capability of the line to meet the production volume expectation. However, we can find gaps in processes and equipment shortcoming during this exercise. Contrast that with the Run at Rate activities which as the production line is now expected to not only produce a quality product but to do so at the expected rate of production.

Conclusion

Each of these and many more are discussed in our book Project Management of Complex and Embedded Systems found also at Amazon.  The book not only discusses these areas, but shows how these parts fit together and when each happens in the project.