In a recent episode of the Manufacturing Executive Podcast, host Joe Sullivan sat down with Naveen Poonian, President and CEO of IBASE-T, to discuss the critical role of quality management in today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing environment.

Poonian, who leads a company that provides solutions for complex, discrete manufacturing in aerospace and defence, emphasized the dire consequences of sacrificing quality for the sake of speed and time to market. “Sacrificing quality really means sacrificing user adoption, sacrificing customer satisfaction, or in the case of, let’s say, what you’re seeing with Boeing or the starliner, sacrificing quality could actually also lead to loss lives, which we hope won’t happen here,” he warned.

Drawing parallels between current manufacturing challenges and past accounting scandals like Enron and WorldCom, Poonian stressed the need for rigorous oversight and accessible, digital data to ensure proper auditing and validation of quality management processes. “Just as Sarbanes-Oxley prevents you from making it harder to cook the books because of that rigor, so does this regulation,” he explained.

One of the key issues Poonian identified is the discrepancy in technology investments within manufacturing organizations. While significant resources are often allocated to CAD systems for design and engineering, maintenance and production systems can be antiquated, leading to potential failures. To address this, he recommends focusing on the shop floor, where most costs are driven, and developing a comprehensive digital strategy that integrates best-of-breed capabilities.

Really, it starts with defining your process, then putting a mechanism in place to control that process. And really, how do we just build it right the first time using the right information, using the right specs and tools and certifications, and doing all that planning up front?

As experienced workers retire and take their tribal knowledge with them, capturing and transferring that expertise to the next generation becomes increasingly critical for maintaining quality control. Poonian emphasizes the importance of simplifying processes, removing steps through automation, and modernizing systems to appeal to the incoming workforce.

IBASE-T takes a consultative approach to help customers digitize their operations, identify low-hanging fruit, and build business cases for quick wins. However, Poonian stresses that successful adoption requires more than just deploying software. “The software is only as good as the adoption,” he noted. “So really, it’s about a lot of education and really working with the teams to understand the value that they’re going to get out of using the solution.”

For manufacturers looking to embark on their digitization journey and improve quality management, Poonian encourages starting small and partnering with the right provider. By educating themselves on the art of the possible and seeking out resources like IBASE-T’s blog and social media channels, manufacturing leaders can begin to navigate the complex landscape of quality management in a changing world.

As the manufacturing industry continues to evolve, prioritizing quality management and embracing digital transformation will be essential for companies looking to remain competitive and deliver products that meet the highest standards of safety and customer satisfaction. With the right strategies and partnerships in place, manufacturers can rise to the challenge and usher in a new era of excellence in quality management.

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