RCEM - questions to ask at the design phase

RCEM is very much a systems approach and like with every other system it’s easier to start at the beginning during the design phase than going back to make adjustments once the system has been developed.

Some topics that apply to RCEM at the design phase (to be reviewed in greater detail in future blogs) include:

•          Design / Performance

•          Where to look:

•          Performance data will be disbursed throughout the organization, no one department will have the information required, you’ll more than likely have to dig into various databases, binders, work sheets

•          Even with company wide commercial software in place individuals still run on excel, word and email to track issues; finding this information is like finding the ‘unmarked trail’ on a hiking map – they’re tough to find, people don’t want to share them but they’re the holy grail

•          Unfortunately even with company wide systems the concept of making data a corporate asset has not been fully adopted in many (many) organizations

•          Tools to use:

•          If you’re looking for design / performance tools google the following:

•          DFMEA – Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis

•          PFMEA – Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis

•          DFSS – Design for Six Sigma

•          Odds are these tools haven’t been utilized in the design process subsequently you won’t find any documentation – the key here is to learn the tools, at least the theory and start asking questions that relate to Failure Modes – probability of occurrence, severity of a failure, likelihood of detection

•          More on these tools in future blogs

•          Capability / Capacity

•          Segregate Marketing Materials from Engineering Data Sheets

•          Many times marketing materials will disguise themselves as technical, they’ll say all the right things but they are marketing materials – get to the specifications, pull up Service / Technical Bulletins

•          Flexibility

•          Flexibility always sounds great but beware, many products really require a specific focus

•          Buying OEM products – many are repackaged versions of other ‘family products’ they’ll have the same issues and failure modes

•          Availability / Dependability – R & M

•          Data, Data, Data – you have to look at the organization’s data collection techniques to make these calculations and validate the results

•          Supportability

•          What does it take to support the product (it’s not an easy question); there are a number of departments, people, processes behind the scenes that support the product and need to be taken into accoun

•          Standardization

•          This is a topic for an entirely new blog entry – standardization is key, it is fundamental, it’s a focus that is imperative

•          Producibility

•          Can it be made and made efficiently

•          Servicability

•          What does it take to service the product; does it have to be entire dismantle for service, can it be serviced remotely, is there special tools / training

There are many questions that need to be asked during the design phase – during the coming weeks we’ll review the tools that can be used to ask those questions and collect the required information.