Sweat the Details during Product Testing to Prevent Costly Mistakes
A statistics-based risk assessment program enables the necessary balance between ensuring an effective test and inspection process and speed to market.
The scope of product testing is growing broader and more complex. Traditionally, the objective was to confirm compliance with relevant safety regulations. But today we’re seeing more product management teams also push for functionality and reliability testing. They want to ensure the product is not just safe for consumers to use, but that they will enjoy using it. After all, the impact to a company’s brand reputation and bottom line can be severe if it cannot discover a defect or other problem before the manufacturing process is complete. Therefore, the challenge is how to conduct more thorough testing without delaying the production process or impacting the delivery plan. A statistics-based risk assessment program enables quality managers to strike that necessary balance between ensuring an effective test and inspection process and speed to market.
As its name suggests, a statistics-based risk assessment program is one that assesses quality risk based on an analysis of historical data. For example, a manufacturing facility that has a track record of producing products with defects or other errors, or working with a facility that will produce your product for the first time, increases the risk. But that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Thorough pre-production testing can look at any number of a product’s features and functionalities and leverage statistical analysis to identify problems before the assembly lines start moving.