Reliability Lab Testing, Consulting, Training.

Ops a la Carte

Call: (408) 654-0499, x204

Email: info@OPSaLaCarte.com

Engineering Success with Reliable Products.

Field Failure Tracking System Setup

Field Failure Tracking System Setup

DEFINITION

A Field Failure Tracking System is a method for collecting field data for the purpose of calculating the field reliability of the product and analyzing for trends.

SITUATION

The client wishes to reduce product warranty repair/replacement costs. Alternatively, the client wishes to increase the product warranty period for competitive advantage. The client does not have an understanding of failure percentages or failure modes over time.

OBJECTIVE

Establish a data set that tracks the products failure history over time for the purposes of:

  1. Isolating failure modes relative to time in the field for failure mode analysis;
  2. Monitoring current health of product or system in field;
  3. Predicting warranty cost exposure over the life of the warranty.

VALUE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

Identifying failure percentages relative to failure modes as a function of time in the field is key to the sustaining engineering effort to increase product reliability for:

  1. Customer satisfaction
  2. Decrease or control of program ROI
  3. Decreased warranty costs.

RELIABILITY INTEGRATION

An example of Reliability Integration during the Field Failure Tracking System Setup is as follows:

During the data collection process, we will compare field results to predicted results to:
  • determine if the results are within an acceptable range.
  • develop a prediction-to-field factor that may be used on future projects.

METHODOLOGY

Develop method to “mine” client’s Relational Data Base Management System to establish field metrics.

  1. Determine “front end” access data from applications (order entry system, RMA tracking system, etc.). What data is currently available? What language does the RDBMS speak (SQL, VBA, C++, Java, etc)?
  2. Establish parametric model in conjunction with client’s technical staff.
  3. Write system to extract data from the storage mechanism (Oracle, Siebel, etc.).
  4. Organize data to present multi-view model.
  5. Analyze data in conjunction with client’s technical staff and report results.
  6. Provide technical training on how the data is organized, what it means and how to use it.

CASE STUDIES/OPTIONS

The following case studies and options provide example approaches. We shall tailor our approach to meet your specific situation.

  1. Extracting from a different data systems to a RDBMS system for analysis

    A large company was in need to figure out why a customer was having a large fall out of products in their application. It was unknown what was happening and the company was uncertain if their fulfillment process, design or their manufacturing was at fault. By using extracts from their ASK system to a SQL RDBMS and then by taking the data that described both shipments and returns by region, manufacture location, manufacture datecode, and calendar date, we were able to track the product issue to a deviation in the manufacturing issue and isolate the problem from a full recall to a small isolated datecode range replacement, saving the company millions of dollars in liability.

  2. Oracle to Excel Tool

    A midcap company was trying to understand a seasonality issue in their product line. With their tracking system in Oracle, they were collecting data on shipments and RMA’s that included information on region, datecode, manufacturing location and part mix for the given program. We were able to design a model for gathering their data from the SQL environment to Excel that allow us to view the data by datecode, region and part mix that isolated the failure mode to a component manufacturing process change that was not announced to the parent company until after the product had shipped into the market place. This helped our client to isolate the problem in the field and assign liability on the component manufacture for not specifying the change and giving the company the time to qualify them. This avoided a large scale recall and a replacement campaign was initiated.

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Email Us: info@OPSaLaCarte.com

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OPS A La Carte, Engineering Success with Reliable Products. We are a leading reliability engineering consulting firm since 2001. We have helped many companies create robust products and elevate them to great success, even become the leader in their industry. We are known for providing the whole gamut of reliability lab testing, consulting, and training. With over 25 reliability engineer-experts around the world, with diverse backgrounds and experience, we serve both domestic and global businesses in all areas of reliability, in depth and width. Hi, my name is Jay Muns, owner and CEO. I have more than 30 years of experience in engineering and business operations.

OPS A La Carte have produced very high-quality results for us, with fast turnaround times. Their engineers are the best in their field, are a pleasure to work with, and their work is of the highest standards available. This has helped us obtain critical product approvals…” We help companies see from outside of their forest and understand what they didn’t know before. Companies come to us out of three scenarios: First, when their products fail. We help put out the fire by identifying problems and providing solutions. Second, after a product is designed, to check the box and move on with getting their product into the marketplace. The best is third: to get engaged early, by including reliability as a part of their initial product design goals. This will save time, money and energy. It is much better to have a worry-free product that addresses reliability issues upfront, than dealing with deficiencies after a product is developed, or worse, already manufactured and sold to the end users. Being proactive with reliability engineering will save a business tons of money and trouble. In all scenarios, you receive professional expertise with integrity and at a fair price. Many of our clients are repeat customers for years because of the value we consistently deliver.

Our ENGINEER-consultants each have over 20 years of experience and perform lab testing, consulting and training based on actual reliability science. They follow well established industry standards, such as “HALT” (highly accelerated life test,) and “HASS” (highly accelerated stress screen.) These engineers evaluate, make recommendations and validate results based on highly relevant lab data, co-relating to real world data. Whether your company has a reliability department or not, you can take advantage of our entire testing-consulting-training package, or any portion of it. We also offer Failure analysis and safety certification services such as UL, CE, and other environmental testing services, like solar, UV, SALT spray testing, ESD (electro-static discharge,) and EMC (electro-magnetic compatibility.)

“Ops A La Carte trained us to use HALT methodology as a proactive tool, to root out key failures in our early and advanced prototypes, and that made it possible for us to deliver dependability that our customers demand, in pilot and production units."“...OPS has played a key role in our evolution from a research company to a manufacturer of ‘mission-critical’ components.” A couple of companies describe our HALT/HASS training as “highly informative, engaging and exciting.” “The benefit far exceeds the price."

Our mission is to enable companies to create their happy customers, with a well-engineered product. By helping our clients understand the real problems and the real solutions, we help improve their careers and reputations. Achieving the win-win-win results for our clients and their customers is our ultimate satisfaction. We have a family-like company culture with positive energy and great teamwork. An improved and reliable product is our own small way to contribute to a better humanity and a slightly better world. Call us at (408) 654-0499, or email us at info@opsalacarte.com, or visit our website www.opsalacarte.com. Thank you!

A couple of our clients' testimonials:

"The expert team at OPS assisted us in evaluating the available reliability testing possibilities, and with their help, we crafted a customized test program precisely sized to meet the needs of our project. The resulting program proved to our team, our customers, and our regulatory auditors that our product was robust, met its reliability goals effectively, and satisfied all safety risk factors."

"...Ops A La Carte worked with us to develop a testing program based on HALT and HASS to effectively assess low-temperature operation capability and screen the boards for assembly and component defects. They then facilitated and supported the HALT and HASS testing effort. It was quicker and more efficient than we had expected. The boards for the first four strings have been delivered. We are looking forward to working with them through completion of the project."