How PRG’s Insights Can Enhance Product Quality and Customer Satisfaction
Exciting insights from Wayne Miller on aligning engineering with field operations! With a rich background from Apple to Bossa Nova Robotics and now as a Partner at Product Realization Group, Wayne emphasizes the importance of engineers understanding field failures. Large companies often miss the real cost of field issues, focusing more on internal KPIs like yield and Bill of Materials (BOM) costs. Wayne advocates for better communication and a unified data source to align KPIs across teams.
A striking example from Bossa Nova Robotics showed how a drivetrain issue, unnoticed during testing, led to costly field repairs and strained customer relations. Wayne’s key takeaway: prioritize First Pass Yield (FPY) as a proxy for field performance and treat downstream teams as customers to foster better collaboration and product quality.
Whether it’s aerospace or consumer electronics, understanding the cost of field failures is crucial. Wayne’s experience highlights the value of early field failure analysis and regular cross-functional meetings to address field issues effectively. Aligning engineering and field operations with shared data and KPIs can significantly enhance product quality and customer satisfaction.
