Design Engineering:
Process control
RTL is offering a new consulting service to help our clients to validate their current processes, improve upon what they have, and build a stronger technical conformance database. There are many variables that can align themselves leading to a product that does not meet performance expectations. Clients that bring a product to RTL for testing can now rely on RTL consulting service to provide the leadership in identifying those processes or procedures that created a non-compliant or other test anomaly to occur. Once identified a recommended solution will be provided that is intended to minimize the recurrence of the same defect. In any process improvement effort RTL consulting service does require a commitment of the client to share an outline current procedures and processes which will be used as the base to begin the initial investigation. Although not in the primary scope of the consulting service the RTL consultant can assist the client in documenting and defining current processes and procedures if they are not readily available.

The scope of RTL consulting service spans broad areas of design, manufacturing and delivered quality and is available in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Our services are optimized to client needs and are focused on cost effectiveness and efficiency.

• Engineering and Program Management: RTL can assist the client’s senior level management team to identify gaps in organizational coverage or responsibilities related to product performance deficiencies or anomalies. Strategies and goals can be determined to eliminate suspect organizational gaps or misaligned responsibilities that contribute to the product issue while still maintaining optimal organizational efficiency of the team.

• Business Process Improvement: RTL offers a complete closed end solution to our clients needs. In the case of poor or unexpected product performance RTL consulting service can examine the current processes and procedures used by the client, and via interaction with the client’s team, provide a concise and objective analysis as to what specific process or procedure allowed the product issue to occur along with recommending an improved process or procedure to minimize future occurrences. These activities span engineering and supply chain manufacturing life cycles and can include the client’s customer if needed. RTL can offer a complete analysis of the client’s current process and controls along with preparing a more robust compliance process strategy should they not exist or need improvement.

• Supply Chain: In today’s world of components, sub-assemblies and assemblies a complicated web of specifications and documents exist. That, coupled with multiple suppliers of the same item, and potentially multiple locations where the client can assemble the product, can quickly create product performance issues that previously the client would be unaware of. RTL consulting can sort through scenarios and ensure that gaps are identified and solutions prepared. Our service can examine the clients’ component or assembly suppliers to assess them against the client’s needs and requirements and point out discrepancies that could contribute to product nonconformance. Coupled with these current manufacturing processes and change controls procedures at the client's manufacturing facility will be overlaid against the component provider to identify if stronger controls are needed to ensure compliant parts are always delivered to the manufacturing site. Similarly, products routinely get updated or changed pursuant to design changes, manufacturing improvements, or a customer request to change the product. RTL can examine the controls used to improve and track product updates and recommend enhancements.

• Delivered Quality: As a manufacturer, your goal is that your product will meet your customers’ expectation, meet specifications and work properly at the time of delivery. However, there are instances when this can be problematic for the manufacturer. The customer may request a retest of the manufacturer’s product and in some extremes may demand a test audit of the product. RTL can assist clients in developing a strategy and work plan to address these and similar customer issues with close synchronization with the RTL test lab facility. We can develop and or enhance our client’s customer satisfaction programs to adequately reflect this new strategy. We can assist in establishing the vision, strategy and issue resolution plan if a regulator or certification body requests a retest as well as helping our clients to develop approaches and strategies to complex customer issues involving test.

• Wireless Telecommunications: Cellular Handsets & Products: RTL has significant expertise in the product safety, regulatory, environmental and compliance requirements for these products. We can partner with our client to develop a holistic test program in conjunction with the RTL test service's business and also generate a roadmap of recommended points in the product life cycle that require actual testing. This same capability can be leveraged into many other consumer products. This includes the software and hardware interconnections where a change in either can impact the overall performance of the other.

RTL encourages its clients to take an objective view of their current processes used to design, manufacture and ship a product to assure them that due diligence has been done and that a strong link exists from the client’s internal processes to the test data RTL delivers. RTL offers its consulting service as an independent viewer who will partner with the client and assist them in identifying gaps critical to product performance or validate what currently is in place. This analysis is tailored to the specific client need and is not a “one size fits all” approach. The RTL consulting service is provided via a partnership with a telecommunications industry specialist in product safety, environmental and regulatory compliance, including the design and implementation of engineering, supply chain, and vendor controls specifically targeted at critical product or system performance. For more information on this new service, please call us at 703-689-0368 or email processcontrol@rheintech.com for more detailed information.