The strategy of Robust Quality Engineering is to achieve front-loading by putting resources into the technology development phase which is upstream in the manufacturing process.
In Japan, until the catch-up period in the 1980s, it was possible to grow a business by introducing completed technology from outside the company and making small improvements to the introduced technology. In such an era, the debug cycle was effective with limiting resource investment in the technology development phase, quickly building prototypes using the introduced technology, and fixing problems that appeared before the engineers' eyes.
However, since the 1990s, when Japan became the frontrunner, the process of making and fixing became a major risk. From that time on, instead of side-by-side competition, it became necessary to achieve differentiated products with their own unique technology in order to grow our business.
If incomplete technologies are introduced into the product design phase, it is difficult to achieve both performance and robustness. This is because, in many cases, both performance and robustness require changing the structure of the system or changing the level of many control factors. Such activities are difficult to implement after the product design phase where schedules are tight. This triggered a change in the manufacturing process, and the importance of realizing front-loading was finally recognized.
Furthermore, in addition to ensuring robustness in technology development phase, it is now essential for business growth to realize products that exceed customer expectations. To achieve this, in addition to Robust Parameter Design, new techniques such as the CS-T method and collaboration with QFD and TRIZ are now attracting attention.
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