It is Time to Learn New Ways to Design & Build

and Stop doing what gets in the Way!

* The 590 page 2020 DFM book has 814 topic section

Don't try DFM Training "On the Cheap"
 

Public Seminars

Companies can not “get DFM” by sending a couple of engineers to a public DFM class, because
• Public classes are all general in nature and are not oriented to your industry or customized to your products.
• In fact, many DFM classes are oriented to high-volume mass-production, which would be inappropriate to low-volume/high-mix environments. And the instructor will be unlikely to answer questions for different environments.
• Even it some of the class applies, the returning engineer will not be able to “spread the word” and may become frustrated trying

Bringing in Low-bid Trainers

Low-cost local profs or wanna-be consultants with little experience in your industry, may be oriented to mass production and may not have enough experience to orient the training to your industry or customize it to your products.

“Trainers” with Hidden Agendas

“Trainers” that sell software or expensive subsequent services can offer a low-cost “class” which will only provide benefits if the company signs up for the subsequent programs or license their software for a few “seats” for specialists who will analyze designs in a search for improvements after design. This is not recommended for reasons cited at http://www.halfcostproducts.com/how_not_to_lower_cost.htm

Don’t Limit Training to Just Engineers

This doesn’t save cost for leading-edge training, since the best training is fixed price anyway because , after all, it does cost experienced trainers the same cost for a class full, but provides 2 or 3 times the benefit to the company. Some low-bid trainers may charge per person, but that would decrease the chance of any customization. Finally, engineers themselves may not be able to change much of the product development culture (next point)

Rather, Train the Entire Product Development Community

If a company want to make real changes to product development and make significant improvements to cost, time, bidding success, customization, part availability, delivery time, profits, and growth, then the company will have to arrange training that thoroughly teaches all these topics to the entire product development community, including management.  See Implementation page.

You Only Get One Chance

Keep in mind that you only get one chance at DFM training. If the training is bad, it will give the message, or even confirm preconceived notions, that DFM is useless and therefore engineers should continue to design only for function. If that happens, it will be hard to get engineers to attend a better class later, not to mention all the opportunities lost in the intervening time.

Call Dr. Anderson at 1-805-924-0100 to discuss implementing these techniques or e-mail him at anderson@build-to-order-consulting.com with your name, title, company, phone, types of products, and needs/opportunities.

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