One of our customers did us the honor of declaring us to be a critical supplier. The reward is a 30-page quality audit checklist and a multi-day on-site audit of our quality systems.
Most of the stuff on the checklist we don't even understand. Heck, we usually don't even understand the syntax, much less the meaning.
Like, we are supposed to have a PFMEA process procedure. So I looked it up...
This is one of over 200 requirements.
-- John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com http://www.highlandtechnology.com Precision electronic instrumentation Picosecond-resolution Digital Delay and Pulse generators Custom laser drivers and controllers Photonics and fiberoptic TTL data links VME thermocouple, LVDT, synchro acquisition and simulation
Sounds like something designed by managers for managers to justify needing managers, MBAs, PMPs, et al. If they'd just restrict themselves to taking care of the books and keeping the lights on.
Perhaps a separate price structure for "commercial grade" and "PFMEA certified grade" components?
Big companies just set up an internal structure to interface with that kind of requirement. It acts as a barrier to entry to small up & coming competitors, for obvious reasons, so it actually enhances their profitability.
You can probably grind through the stuff with one or two people and get it done, with or without the services of a consultant. From my experience with formal PM, once you get a handle on the "special" terminology the rest isn't all that challenging.
That article is written by a psychopathic bs-artist and certifiable moron.
Look on the positive side... maybe Larkin will make an ass of himself (easy for him) and the agency will shut him down ;-) ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
But my customer wants this PFMEA stuff! And about 199 more.
Can you imagine actually doing all that stuff?
-- John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com http://www.highlandtechnology.com Precision electronic instrumentation Picosecond-resolution Digital Delay and Pulse generators Custom laser drivers and controllers Photonics and fiberoptic TTL data links VME thermocouple, LVDT, synchro acquisition and simulation
The certification augments the value proposition.
n.
You can whip this out in no time. This looks like a good site:
Then there are software programs that help you fill in the blanks to genera te the hierarchy of block diagrams and forms needed for the finished produc t, a notebook full of stuff no one will ever look at again. If it's governm ent related then the thickness of the notebook counts most, contents not so much.
Here are the PHB solutions :-)
-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/
Looks worse than the babblese the IPC produces.
the hierarchy of block diagrams and forms needed for the finished product, a notebook full of stuff no one will ever look at again. If it's government related then the thickness of the notebook counts most, contents not so much.
Demonstrates How To Perform FMEAs Step-by-Step
Includes Ready-to-Use Worksheet Templates
"Unlike other improvement tools, FMEA does not require complicated statistics. However, they require a full commitment to quality and a willingness to take a team approach that involves all stakeholders."
the hierarchy of block diagrams and forms needed for the finished product, a notebook full of stuff no one will ever look at again. If it's government related then the thickness of the notebook counts most, contents not so much.
What does that mean? Let's all hold hands and feel warm and cozy... and everything will be OK? ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
oron.
htm
erate the hierarchy of block diagrams and forms needed for the finished pro duct, a notebook full of stuff no one will ever look at again. If it's gove rnment related then the thickness of the notebook counts most, contents not so much.
It's a 2009 product so may not be fully up to date. I don't see that they m ake a distinction between D-FMEA and P-FMEA, looks like it's mainly D-FMEA.
More like, 'Pretend to know what you're doing & fake the paperwork.'
Hire a Quality guy.
Cheers
Yup, we could try that.
One of my bigger customers demanded that we be ISO-9000, until I pointed out to them that they aren't. That seemed to annoy them some.
If a 1-man company did all the quality stuff that these people want, and complied with all the city/state/fed laws, he'd need about a dozen QC and accounting and legal staff.
-- John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com http://www.highlandtechnology.com Precision electronic instrumentation Picosecond-resolution Digital Delay and Pulse generators Custom laser drivers and controllers Photonics and fiberoptic TTL data links VME thermocouple, LVDT, synchro acquisition and simulation
Well, you might see what they say if you tell them "if you like our products, buy them. We are not going to spend several thousand $ complying with your outrageous certification process."
I am a REALLY small business, just me. One of my customers wanted me to go through ISO-9001 certification, and I told them I couldn't afford it. They still buy from me.
Jon
When the customer uses your equipment, is there any possibility of harm? Such as, does this gear control a motion system? if it is just lab gear for testing some product, then I don't see the need for hazard analysis.
Jon
Heh, you would end up like Dilberts firm !!
Just wondering out loud... has anyone sent this to the patent office? :)
On a serious note, I hope you're getting "critical supplier pay" for this stuff!!
-mpm
ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.