How’s Your “Machine”?

How is your process engineering “machine” doing? Do you even have one of these machines? The machine in this context is not the equipment used for the process. It is something different and more subtle. The “machine” concept I’m using is from Ray Dalio. He describes in in his outstanding book “Principles”. Dalio is the founder of Bridgewater Associates, one if the world’s biggest hedge funds. Dalio views a “machine” as the framework that work and events happens in. For example, Dalio views the economy itself as a (very complicated but understandable) machine, which he tries to understand to maximize the returns to his investors. For those interested in an example, “How the Economic Machine Works” (by Dalio and Larry Summers) can be found at the following URL: http://www.currencyfundgroup.com/2014/09/09/larry-summers-and-ray-dalio-on-dalios-unique-perspective-of-how-the-economic-machine-works/ Now, back to the Process Perspective.

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I have constructed/reverse-engineered my own process engineering machine. I call it APEX or Applied Process Engineering eXcellence.

This APEX machine has three overall goals to accomplish, depending on the innovation stage of the project:

1. Create manufacturable and scalable research concepts

2. Minimize the time from first-prototype to full-scale manufacturing

3. Engineer robust and trouble-free production processes

The APEX (Applied Process Engineering eXcellence) machine/framework has four pillars, each pillar has sub-elements:

Pillar 1: Technical Foundation

• current “state of the art”

• insight from physics and calculations

• IP (Intellectual Property) considerations

• statistically derived models

Pillar 2: Generation of Actionable Data

• data visualization and presentation

• documentation and sharing of results

• measurement system validation

• metrics development

• process capability studies

• signal to noise ratio

• statistically designed experiments

Pillar 3: Systematic Problem Solving Methodologies

• Axiomatic Analysis

• 8D problem solving

• DMAIC

• IDOV

• innovation stage models

Pillar 4: Project Management

• ”big picture” considerations

• meeting effectiveness

• project planning rigor

• stakeholders: support from and communication with

• team collaboration

My main learning from this line of thinking has been to understand the need to have a process engineering “machine”. That need was why I created the APEX framework or machine. Systematic application of this APEX machine will improve the probability of your success as you craft great processes.

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YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK

Please think about the framework you use to do your important process engineering projects…

• Do you have a “machine” or framework to guide you as you work on key process engineering projects?

• Are you evolving and improving your process engineering machine over time?

I’d enjoy hearing about your process engineering “machine”. As always, please email me and I’ll get back to you promptly.

All the Best, Marty

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