Managing Automation - December 2007 - (Page 42) [DECEMBER 2007] Transformation TechWatch Integration [ TRANSFORMATION ] COMPLIANCE Manufacturers are getting more proactive about compliance, using technology to move the effort to an earlier stage in the design process rather than attacking in an after-the-fact fashion. B Y B E T H S TA C K P O L E Striving for upstream alk about a flashback to the late 1990s. Just as manufacturers scrambled to ready their IT systems for the Y2K changeover, many are again in reactive mode, prepping their product development and other departments to meet requirements for regulatory compliance. But cutting-edge companies are going beyond short-term compliance. They are starting to rethink their processes for products under development. Instead of coming at compliance as an after-the-fact checkbox item, these manufacturers are reengineering their business processes and systems to make compliance an integral part of the early design stage. In phase two, companies address compliance just as they would any other design requirement — for example, design for cost or for manufacturability. Part of the impetus is to establish formal and traceable business processes to avoid mis- steps that could lead to regulatory fines, product shutdowns, or PR meltdowns reminiscent of what Mattel experienced this summer when it recalled lead-containing toys built by some of its Chinese suppliers. Perhaps the more compelling argument for a design-for-compliance strategy is that addressing the requirements early in the design phase is far more cost-effective and efficient than being forced to make changes closer to production. “The benefits of designing for compliance are immeasurable,” says a spokesman for Siemens PLM Software, which offers product lifecycle management (PLM) software, including CAD and digital manufacturing applications. “When you factor it in at the very beginning, you automatically know what pool of suppliers to choose from, what pool of components to choose from, and what processes to use downstream to manufacture the product. You start to cut out all the potential dead ends you may run into downstream, and cut back the iterative process.” Industries ma December 42 2007 Photo: Sandra vom Stein
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