Why do Environmental Testing ?

Why do Environmental Testing ? 

Let me show you a typical product of an everyday person. 

Here is the picture of my old handphone S10, its battered, stuck with scotch tape, some small cracks front and back but its still workable. Its easily 6 years old, and way past its lifetime. Thankfully I have gotten a new one early this year. From the same brand, to be frank.

How did it make it so far in this day and age of everchanging products many not lasting more than 1 year ?

RELIABILITY.

What is reliability ? 

It is quality of a product in terms of features, functionality and the cosmetic case over time. 

QUALITY 

What is quality ?

It is the performance of a product, which gives the best use of its function for its price. It can be anything from :

> smartphone

> pod speakers

> Electronic Pad or Tablets

> car components (speedometer, brakes, onboard dashboard, EV lithium batteries etc)

Any manufacturer determined to build a brand MUST embark on both 

1. Quality Assurance (QA)

2. Quality Control (QC)

of their production else, they are as good a gone, in a short while.

But before even the QA and QC process, for each and every new model for the manufacturer,  the manufacturer must perform the following :

1. Sourcing of good quality components, materials and sealants for the proper assembly from reliable suppliers. The design of the new product must cater for all kinds of assembly mismatches, and materials degradations. 

2. Ensuring that at every production point, there is proper CAR (corrective action request) carried out to find the root cause of any failure in the product's functionality and performance.

If the failure is minor (below the just noticeable line), perhaps it can move on to the next process. If it is major, a complete production stop must be carried out and a complete design review must be carried out and changes made immediately.

A key process in the QA or QC in any manufacturer is the continued use of environmental chambers for the maintenance and possibly long term improvement of their products quality and reliability. Environmental chamber use in both inhouse and out of factory has been employed for 8 decades since after the end of World War 2.

An educated management with a suitably trained workforce MUST do environmental testing. In the following post, I will weigh in on Environmental Simulation, with the smartphone manufacturer as a classic example.

Hence Why do Environmental Testing ? 

From the manufacturer's standpoint, IF you make good quality and reliable products, with good after sales support, your brand name will ultimately improve, together with strong customer loyalty, against cutthroat cheaper competition.

That is why you do QC, QA testing of which Environmental Testing forms a big part of.

Look out for the next post, my friends.

For a no obligations discussion for more information, my team and I would be happy to chat on email, please see below :

E : mark@qra.com.sg

     qrasales@qra.com.sg

CARPE DIEM.