Striving for perfection in the hardware development process
Over the years, the approach to quality has significantly improved and taken on a whole new meaning. Quality assurance in the whole process today is not only a potential competitive advantage, but is a standard requirement for the market.
Manufacturing companies today must meet the growing expectations of customers regarding the quality of their products. On the other hand, the cost of quality assurance should be as low as possible, without adversely affecting the competitiveness of a company or its profit margins. Total Quality Management is a requirement to shape the path of success of production enterprises, which build a product quality strategy based on consistent improvement in each area of their business operations. Moreover, the Industry 4.0 revolution has given additional dynamics to the process of adaptation to rapidly changing market conditions.
Quality is today, while reliability is the future
Quality and reliability are among the most essential factors for manufacturing success on the global market. Product quality means the level of product excellence and its ability to meet the needs of customers, whereas reliability is the ability of the device to operate and maintain its quality over time and under specific conditions. Therefore, it is true that quality is today, while reliability is the future. Over the years, the approach to quality has significantly improved and taken on a whole new meaning. Quality assurance in the whole process today is not only a potential competitive advantage, but is a standard requirement of the market. A comprehensive perception of quality applies to the entire product life cycle, including the manufacturing process. When we are talking about the product’s quality, we distinguish between the functional requirements, such as technical parameters, and the non-functional requirements, which include regulatory and ergonomic requirements.
Attention to the quality of developed products is an objective in relation to the management system operating in this field in the company, but above all, it guarantees meeting the client's expectations. The essence and scope of product quality assurance is created at every level of the company and at every stage of product development, including the stage of design and manufacturing process preparation. The quality of the final product depends on many factors that should not be underestimated.
Striving for perfection in the hardware development process
“It is definitely not enough just to check at the end of the manufacturing process whether the product meets certain requirements. Every element leading to the development of a new piece of hardware should be done with attention to quality”, says Piotr Krauze, Quality & Reliability Assurance Director at VECTOR BLUE HUB. “In the projects we produce, our Quality Control team makes sure that each stage of the process – the collection of the requirements, design, prototyping, manufacturing, logistics and service – is properly supervised in order to eliminate the risk of creating a non-compliant product”, adds Piotr.
Key takeaways for effective quality assurance
Working on the quality in the hardware development process, it is crucial to focus on several smaller but equally important processes, such as:
- The definition of all the requirements - the better the quality of the data we get at the beginning, the better we will be able to meet the customer's expectations regarding the product;
- Prototyping - there is no serious design without prototyping and simulations
- Close cooperation between all the departments: sales, testers, developers and the validation team – the closer the departments are to each other, the better the efficiency and response to changes;
- Functional and non-functional tests – both are equally important and affects customer satisfaction;
- The validation process – carried out in a laboratory in a special test environment.
Perfection is always desired by many, but it is achieved by only a few. Any manufacturing company, regardless of its size, type of production or services, will not achieve lasting success on the market without a focus on the continuous improvement of the entire organisation in all aspects of its operations, which is strongly emphasised in the modern approach to managing the organisation. Today’s manufacturing process requires our commitment, flexibility and a set of well-established procedures – VECTOR BLUE HUB has it all.
