-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Recollections on Deming
August 1, 2023 | Mark Wolfe, IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
In the early 1990s, I was working for EMD Associates, an EMS company (now a Benchmark Electronics operation in Winona, Minnesota), when I became familiar with Dr. W. Edwards Deming. EMD was an early entrant into the SMT provider world, and we were very focused on quality. Deming was one of several experts that we used as a guide for our company.
As part of that journey, I was able to attend a live Deming seminar in Phoenix. There were several speakers as part of his team, but Deming, who was at least 90 years old at the time, spoke in very memorable fashion each day on key topics.
Deming’s demonstration of the Red Bead Experiment left the most profound impression on me. You can see a shortened video from the Deming Institute of his experiment online1. (In fact, I may even be in that audience.) This experiment involved several “willing workers” (audience volunteers) who were asked to use a dimpled paddle to randomly remove 50 beads from a box of hundreds of white (good) and red (defective) beads. Those “workers” who had fewer relative defects were rewarded and promoted. Those who had more defects were put on probation and dismissed. The company ultimately failed, allegedly because of the workers’ inability to produce enough good product. It was, of course, all random and had nothing to do with the skill of individual workers. The system was simply not capable of producing the output they required to succeed and the variation across workers was just a normal variation within that system. Deming’s colorful commentary was both humorous and sobering, but the impact is etched in my memory. Since then, I have always tried to understand the impact of normal variation on what I think we see.
Now, I recall a more humorous anecdote from that seminar when he reminded the audience that he clearly expected them to pay attention and listen. He had an audience of maybe 300 to 400 people, and at the end of the first session, they had an opportunity to ask him questions. There were microphones on stands in multiple aisles where long lines of people quickly formed behind each one.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the July 2023 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
KIC’s Miles Moreau to Present Profiling Basics and Best Practices at SMTA Wisconsin Chapter PCBA Profile Workshop
01/25/2024 | KICKIC, a renowned pioneer in thermal process and temperature measurement solutions for electronics manufacturing, announces that Miles Moreau, General Manager, will be a featured speaker at the SMTA Wisconsin Chapter In-Person PCBA Profile Workshop.
The Drive Toward UHDI and Substrates
09/20/2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPanasonic’s Darren Hitchcock spoke with the I-Connect007 Editorial Team on the complexities of moving toward ultra HDI manufacturing. As we learn in this conversation, the number of shifting constraints relative to traditional PCB fabrication is quite large and can sometimes conflict with each other.
Standard Of Excellence: The Products of the Future
09/19/2023 | Anaya Vardya -- Column: Standard of ExcellenceIn my last column, I discussed cutting-edge innovations in printed circuit board technology, focusing on innovative trends in ultra HDI, embedded passives and components, green PCBs, and advanced substrate materials. This month, I’m following up with the products these new PCB technologies are destined for. Why do we need all these new technologies?
Experience ViTrox's State-of-the-Art Offerings at SMTA Guadalajara 2023 Presented by Sales Channel Partner—SMTo Engineering
09/18/2023 | ViTroxViTrox, which aims to be the world’s most trusted technology company, is excited to announce that our trusted Sales Channel Partner (SCP) in Mexico, SMTo Engineering, S.A. de C.V., will be participating in SMTA Guadalajara Expo & Tech Forum. They will be exhibiting in Booth #911 from the 25th to the 26th of October 2023, at the Expo Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico.
Intel Unveils Industry-Leading Glass Substrates to Meet Demand for More Powerful Compute
09/18/2023 | IntelIntel announced one of the industry’s first glass substrates for next-generation advanced packaging, planned for the latter part of this decade.