Tool_maker, In a perfect world, we would document everything everytime, but it's not always practical. In a large organization, thourough documentation is necessary to handle the logistics of communication. In a small mom-and-pop shop, you can get away with a certain amount of "mental" documentation because direct communication with those who know the details is easier.
This can be taken to extremes on both sides of the continuum. I used to work for a huge multinational conglomerate. We documented ourselves to death, literally. It took seven signatures and half a day to get an ECO approved and documented. That's IF I walked it through myself. The normal lag was about two weeks.
On the other hand, if you lose your human capital who happens to be the sole keeper of odd knowledge for a given project, good luck making heads or tails of it.
You have to find that balance of productivity and proper documentation with which you are comfortable.
This is all over my head so I am way out of my comfort zone here, so if this question does not make sense just consider the source. 99% of what I do is mechanical and when I complete a design and the device is built, it is subjected to a run-off, often with the customer present. If changes are made, the drawings get updated and the alteration is logged. That way if I run into a similar design, I have a record of what did not work and how we corrected it. Is that done in your field as well or would someone else have to go through the whole trouble shooting procedure you just spelled out?
One of my co-workers is so tunnel visioned that he thinks the only important thing is to make the device work. As a result, many alterations may occur with the only record being what he retains between his ears. It drives me crazy, but his family owns the company, so I deal with it.
Good point, Greg. These Sherlock Ohms stories are famous for showing how design engineers have to dispense with all assumptions and dig into areas that could easily get overlooked. If you have any of your own Sherlock stories, please send them along to: rob.spiegel@ubm.com
I also like how you stayed on task and kept digging deeper and deeper until you fixed the root cause, rather than just put a patch on it. Good job and great commitment to quality.
Very nice fix; I like your troubleshooting methods and the way you tracked down the glitch. Your example is a valuable lesson for embedded designers who almost always have to figure out concessions with I/O.
Using almost 200 light-emitting diodes in the front and back of the new 2014 CTS, Cadillac designers are showing how LEDs can change the character of a vehicle.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
4 
