Design For Excellence (DFX)

The ICS Design For Excellence (DFX) process ensures that the issues related to the quality, cost and manufacturing cycle time of your product are addressed early in their product life, allowing you to concentrate valuable resources to the next generation of design. Our design reviews ensure that your products meet manufacturing requirements that are conducive to testing and that your required materials are available and of good quality.

DFX Process

Design For Excellence is concurrent engineering. By conducting reviews at pre-defined key points, ICS leverages its organizations four-core strengths - Materials, Manufaturing, Quality, Test Organizations - passing the benefit on to you the client.

Design For Component Cost reviews are performed on product material listings from the concept phase to recurring points in the sustaining production phase.  The results of the DFC reviews alert the product design teams to the end of life availability and lead time issues along with supplier quality issues.

Design For Manufacturing reviews are performed at the System Level, Mechanical Piece Level and PCB Level.  Issues related to Assembly, Service, Quality, and Process are documented and delivered to the Product Design Team.  Manufacturing process strategies are formulated including plans for new technology requirements.

Design For Quality reviews are ongoing throughout the product life cycle.  Approved vendors are monitored for quality and delivery.  Process flows and process failure mode effects analysis (PFMEA’s) are developed.  Control plans are put in place to address areas of risk exposed by the PFMEA’s.  Gauges, fixtures and tooling are reviewed for robustness along with accountability in the quality systems and requirements.  These items are combined with regular reviews of theoretical vs. actual yield data.  Results from these review processes may drive process improvement projects.

A pre-defined project plan outlines the details and timing of the DFX Process, allowing our clients to review and approve the steps. Setting the right expectation and being accountable for results are what ICS strives for day-to-day.