A new product introduction Message #1 Posted by Giancarlo (Italy) on 3 Aug 2007, 3:46 a.m.
Hi all.
That story of HP "holding all orders of HP 35s models until the issue is fully researched and remedied" really impressed me....
I'm employed in a company that produces consumer goods, and, to be competitive and profitable as a company,
we had to set up a well structured process for New Products Introduction
(be they really "new" or a restyling of existing ones).
That procedure provides a stage-by-stage feasibility and development flow, going through some major "milestones"
where some "steering committee", seen the outcomes of the previous steps, decides a GO/NO GO for the project.
I mean: we're talking, roughly, of the following steps:
1. mock-ups for aesthetical sanction and for "face value tests";
2. first (few) prototypes - not made with definitive tools - for preliminary tests and design reviews;
3. first (limited) bacth, made with definitive tools, aimed at "freezing" the project and make deeper tests
(for example: early failure, reliability, life tests, field tests);
4. first production run (limited quantity) to test the capability of the real production process in terms
of work cycles, ergonomics of work places, production checks and quality checks (either in-process or end-of-line tests).
Now, it's really difficult for me to understand how an issue would escape a structured procedure
(and I *do* believe HP has got even a more structured and paced one)
so that to compel the company to a "recall campaign" ('cause that's what we're really looking at) just 3 weeks after the market launch...
Should I mention the disappointment of the customers, their complaints about the company, the lack of image
etc,. all of these amplified by the huge expectations?
I strongly suspect that, in the process of introduction of the new 35S, having in mind the extreme
level of expectations of the HP market target for that product, somebody over there failed to go through
some seriuos Design FMEA or test session - otherwise, how could such a flaw escape?
Apologise for my rants, but as my daily job is focused at the "quality" of the products, I just can't
understand "how it could happen" to such a company.... But maybe I'm just picturing it bigger than it deserved to be ;-)
Best regards.
Giancarlo
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