In The Trenches
may or may not be stated directly.
Often, the lowest bidder will be
awarded the contract. Often, the
engineer (or his company) is barred
from contacting the RFQ client to
obtain additional details or answer
questions. This is done to provide for
“fair” competition, but clearly, this
can create difficulties for the engineer. Who knows if the client really
wants an LCD or LED display? The
cost and performance are different.
Which is better? In cases like this,
you just do your best.
Engineering contests (like
SERVO Magazine’s Hack-A-Sapien)
are a form of RFQ. In these cases,
originality is an important factor in
winning. Sometimes, contest goals
are very specific, like “self-navigate
from Point A to Point B in the shortest
time.” Sometimes, they are vague,
like “most outrageous hack.”
Nevertheless, these contests are really RFQs in disguise.
else that is needed to define the
product.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it
is, but this step is often critical to the
success of the project. This paper
design can uncover fundamental
problems that must be corrected. It’s
clearly better to fix a paper design
than to rework hardware. This also
helps everyone understand all the
aspects of the whole project rather
than just their own small part of it. As
I recall, the paperwork for the B-1
bomber weighed more than the
bomber itself.
It is not unheard of to create two
paper designs and let the customer
decide which is best. If you really
have a great idea that doesn’t match
what the client has stated, but you
think he’ll like it, this may be the way
to go.
You can provide your design
along with the design that matches
the client’s specifications. Placing two
proposals side by side and showing
the client how one is better than
the other is often a good way to sell
your idea.
Occasionally, this stage includes
“proof of concept” hardware (or software). If you are proposing a solution
that is unique or controversial, it is
very helpful for the client to see the
idea in action. This gives you — and
your idea — credibility and helps the
client understand the principles of the
approach. This hardware does not
need to be a finished product. It only
has to demonstrate that the idea is
workable.
Design Review
This is when you sit down with
the client again and go over your
paper design. You show him the good
and bad points of the design, and
always tell the client about the bad
points up front. There are two rea-
Paper Design
The next step is to consolidate
all the information you got from the
client (or RFQ) and decide which
approach is the most appropriate
for the client. Always remember
that you are working for the client
and you want to make him happy.
While you may enjoy designing,
you must always put the client’s
needs first.
You should have a number of
possible approaches. Within an engineering company, meetings are often
held to decide the good and bad
points of each idea. If you are consulting on your own, you should always
examine several different ways to satisfy the customer. If you set your
mind to a fixed solution, it often causes problems later.
Once the approach is determined, a comprehensive paper
design is created. This includes
a complete schematic, physical
dimensions, parts list, production
cost estimate, testing fixtures, special
assembly details, theory of operation,
computer simulations, and anything
APRIL 2005
Circle #115 on the Reader Service Card.
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