Engineering Documentation Control Handbook

Frank B. Watts

"The wall or gap between Engineering and the rest of the world has existed too long." Watts, with EC3 Corp. in Winter Park, CO, therefore emphasizes Engineering Documentation Control (EDC) or Configuration Management (CM)--distinguishing between the two--as a key business strategy in tandem with Total Quality Manufacturing, and takes a generic approach applicable to commercial and defense agency-related companies. This iteration (no date is specified for the first) includes a new chapter on benchmarking based on actual survey results, and expanded coverage of interchangeability and change costs. The volume concludes with CM predictions for the future. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This handbook is a new systematic approach to engineering documentation, therefore, it will simplify the end users ability to set up or enhance their engineering documentation requirements. Companies with small manual systems to large-scale mass production facilities can use this handbook to tailor their engineering documentation requirements. If an individual or company wishes to create or improve an engineering documentation system, there is no need to start from scratch. Instead, use this new handbook, complete with 47 specially designed forms and with procedures that cover every major aspect of a comprehensive engineering documentation system. Another book published by Noyes, Engineering Documentation Control Handbook can be very helpful if used in conjunction with this handbook. This book contains 62 engineering procedures and 27 forms. Most of these engineering procedures are influenced by the author's background in aircraft, aerospace, and the computer industry. The manufacture of Printed Circuit Boards was used as an example throughout the book. However, the principles are applicable to all engineering and operational disciplines.

Configuration Management Metrics: Product Lifecycle and Engineering Documentation Control Process Measurement and Improvement provides a comprehensive discussion of measurements for configuration management/product lifecycle processes. Each chapter outlines one of the most important measures of merit – the need for written policy and procedures. The best of the best practices as to the optimum standards are listed with an opportunity for the reader to check off those that their company has and those they do not. The book first defines the concept of configuration management (CM) and explains its importance. It then discusses the important metrics in the major CM and related processes. These include: new item release; order entry/fulfillment; request for change; bill of material change cost; and field change. Ancillary processes which may or may not be thought of as part of these major processes are also addressed, including deviations, service parts, publications and field failure reporting. Provides detailed guidance on developing and implementing measurement systems and reports Demonstrates methods of graphing and charting data, with benchmarks A practical resource for the development of Engineering Documentation Control processes Includes basic principles of Product Lifecycle processes and their measurement

Control of engineering documentation, sometimes called Configuration Management (CM) especially in the defense industries, remains critical to world-class manufacturing survival. The 3rd edition of this popular engineering documentation handbook improves upon one of the best blueprints for efficient EDC/CM ever published, and continues to provide a significant company strategy for managers, project leaders, chief engineers and others. It can be used in many industries to improve the control of engineering documentation. Use the Engineering Documentation Control Handbook to get on track right away and make the release of new products and their documentation flow smoothly and easily. The book is packed with specific methods that can be applied quickly and accurately to almost any industry and any product to control documentation, request changes to the product, make those changes and develop bills of material. The result is a powerful communications bridge between engineering and "the rest of the world" that makes rapid changes in products and documentation possible. With the help of the simple techniques in the handbook, companies can gain and hold their competitive advantages in a world that demands flexibility and quick reflexes -- and has no sympathy for delays. The new edition takes the improvements of the second to a whole new level, with more chapters and even more additions. As always, the thrust of the book retains a focus on basics, rules and reasons. The author emphasizes that EDC or CM must be recognized as a key business strategy, and the days of "throwing it over the wall" are gone forever.

Configuration Management for Senior Managers is written to help managers in product manufacturing and engineering environments identify the ways in which they can streamline their products and processes through proactive documentation control and product lifecycle management. Experienced consultant Frank Watts gives a practitioner’s view tailored to the needs of management, without the textbook theory that can be hard to translate into real-world change. Unlike competing books that focus on CM within software and IT environments, this engineering-focused resource is packed with examples and lessons learned from leading product development and manufacturing companies, making it easy to apply the approach to your business. Developed to help you identify key policies and practices needing attention in your organization to establish and maintain consistency of processes and products, and to reduce operational costs Focused on configuration management (CM) within manufacturing and engineering settings, with relevant examples from leading companies Written by an experienced consultant and practitioner with the knowledge to provide real-world insights and solutions, not just textbook theory

Get to know a key ingredient to world-class product manufacturing With this manual, you have the best of the best management practices for the configuration management processes. It goes a long way toward satisfying Total Quality Management, FDA, GMP, Lean CM and ISO/QS/AS 9XXX process documentation requirements. The one requirement common to all those standards is to document the processes and to do what you document.

The overwhelming majority of a software system’s lifespan is spent in use, not in design or implementation. So, why does conventional wisdom insist that software engineers focus primarily on the design and development of large-scale computing systems? In this collection of essays and articles, key members of Google’s Site Reliability Team explain how and why their commitment to the entire lifecycle has enabled the company to successfully build, deploy, monitor, and maintain some of the largest software systems in the world. You’ll learn the principles and practices that enable Google engineers to make systems more scalable, reliable, and efficient—lessons directly applicable to your organization. This book is divided into four sections: Introduction—Learn what site reliability engineering is and why it differs from conventional IT industry practices Principles—Examine the patterns, behaviors, and areas of concern that influence the work of a site reliability engineer (SRE) Practices—Understand the theory and practice of an SRE’s day-to-day work: building and operating large distributed computing systems Management—Explore Google's best practices for training, communication, and meetings that your organization can use