Richard, et al This sounds like a Six Sigma project. Having just completed my 'green belt' training, I have been assigned a project to complete my certification as a Six Sigma green (horn) belt. This is a *huge* undertaking for me..
Naturally, the project dictated to me is to attempt an analysis of the EMC compliance process used here. This will be an attempt to apply structured analysis procedures in efforts to better understand and apply changes in personnel and/or test/scheduling procedures to shorten cycle time and perhaps reduce costs. We seem to spend 15% of lab resources in actual compliance work and 85% in troubleshooting to get compliant. Accuracy in resource scheduling has proven to be as easy as nailing jelly to a tree.. I saw your list and immediatly recognized its similarity to mine. This work starts and ends with confounding metrics. >From your list I see that you have 'Defects Per Unit' (DPU), but nothing about Opportunities For Error (OFE) that occurs with gaining compliance for new products. I think this would be the key to unraveling the mystery. I see that you apply DPU as EMC failures, but I was thinking of DPU as failures in meeting schedule. Is this too weird? Any thoughts on how to calculate OFE on a new product that is bound to be rife with opportunities due to the use of latest technology such as for example, 2+ Gbps fibre channel and its accomodating -new- mechanical packaging? For your engineering types, the concept of determining opportunities for compliance failure may be alien to them. It is for ours. I am skeptical that these guys could tell me anything meaningful until they get their training. -but I keep an open mind. On major item I picked up in my SS training was the myriad of ways the metrics can be charted and considered. Best Regards, Kyle Ehler KCØIQE <mailto:[email protected]> Assistant Design Engineer LSI Logic Storage Systems Div. 3718 N. Rock Road U.S.A. Wichita, Kansas 67226 Ph. 316 636 8657 Fax 316 636 8321 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2001 3:20 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Metrics My management is asking each engineering group to devise and apply metrics to our department operations. I have struggled for a couple of years to devise meaningful metrics as applied to EMC and product safety compliance testing and certification , but with little success. Some ideas have been: * % of received products that are found to be fully compliant without design changes * elapsed test and certification time * defects per unit (for example, number of fixes required to be safety compliant) * hours of actual test time vs.standard test time What metrics are you using and how well are they working? Richard Woods Sensormatic Electronics
