This page describes my philosophy and approach to consulting and training for engineering management, quality, reliability and safety.

• Effective management of any engineering activity must be based upon selection, development and leadership of the people involved. Quality, reliability, productivity and safety are achieved only as a result of effective management, in the widest sense. Peter Drucker taught us this in 1955, but much current management thinking, teaching and practice seems to have lost the way.
  
  
• Quality, reliability and safety are NOT achieved by procedures and standards. ISO9000 is a misleading and wrong-headed approach, of benefit only to bureaucrats and the ISO9000 "industry". Similar standards for reliability and safety ("dependability") such as ISO/IEC300 and ISO/IEC61508 are equally bad. Companies should avoid these approaches if possible, and comply with them only when absolutely necessary. You can comply and apply the excellent methods used by world-class companies, if you ensure that the compliance aspects are managed so that they do not detract from real quality achievement.
  
  
• Quality, reliability and safety are NOT achieved by mathematics and statistics. Nearly all teaching and literature on the subject emphasises these aspects, and ignores the reality that the ranges of uncertainty involved largely invalidate quantitative methods for prediction and measurement. In all of my teaching, including my books and articles, I emphasise the practical engineering and management aspects, and explain the limitations of the traditional quantitative methods.
  
  
• Testing is an essential part of nearly all engineering development, manufacture and support. It is a difficult and expensive activity. However, very few companies manage testing effectively, often basing practices on traditions, standards and culture. The subject is hardly ever taught as part of engineering education. However, great improvements in time, cost, and reliability can be achieved by applying the right thinking and methods. In particular, the use of highly accelerated stresses for development and manufacturing test (HALT, HASS), as developed by Gregg Hobbs, provides order-of-magnitude benefits.
  
  

• Improve the effectiveness of engineering by better team organization, training and leadership.
• Fully integrate practical, effective quality and reliability methods into all project stages, and into company procedures.
• Show how to perform quality and reliability methods (QFD, FMEA, Taguchi methods, six sigma, SPC, data analysis, etc.) so that they make real contributions, not just add to cost and time.
• Show how to plan and manage testing, so that all development and manufacturing testing adds value and reliability.
• Cope with the imposition of standards such as ISO9000, ISO/IEC61508, MIL-STDS, etc.
• Solve quality and reliability problems.
• Design and provide training tailored to your needs (technology, markets, procedures, etc.), in co-operation with your staff.

I have provided help and training to many companies, including Nokia, HP, GM, Rolls-Royce Cars, Jaguar, Cummins Diesels, New Holland, SPAR Aerospace, Halliburton, Schlumberger, Raytheon, Oce, Danfoss, Dyson, etc.

If you would like to discuss how this practical philosophy can help your business achieve greater engineering effectiveness and reduced costs, please contact me.

CLICK HERE FOR LISTS OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, COMPANIES AND PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE RELIABILITY AND TEST INFORMATION, EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE AND SERVICES.

David Hutchins Consultant on Quality Management, and author of excellent books on quality management, quality circles, etc.

Gregg Hobbs Inventor of HALT and HASS, and author of a new book on the subject. Teaches, consults and runs seminars.

Ops al la Carte Reliability and test training and consulting.

John Seddon Author of "In Pursuit of Quality" and critic of ISO9000.>

Alan Sayle Consultant on quality systems and management. Author of excellent books on ISO9000 and TQM.

Finn Jensen Consultant, author: reliability management, reliability of electronics, seminars.

Jim Mc.Linn. e-mail: JMRel2@aol.com. Reliability methods, mechanical aspects.

CALCE (Computer-Aided Life Cycle Engineering Center at University of Maryland). Information, research, etc. on all aspects of electronics reliability.

IITRI (Illinois Institute of Technology Reliability Institute). Training courses, consulting.

Wayne Tustin (Equipment Reliability Institute) Reliability/test/vibration/shock consulting and training.

Paul Barringer Reliability data analysis, training and consulting.