Management and the Technology Professional – B302

Case study answer 2

After discovering I had accidentally missed out one of the tests during step 6 the previous day I decided the best course of action would be to go back and repeat all the tests again. As an employee of the company it is my duty and responsibility to fulfil the role given to me in the workplace. I have personally made a mistake and therefore I am responsible for rectifying it. Although rerunning the tests increases the project duration, the consequences of not completing all the tests may be significantly worse. If there is a problem discovered later on I would be accountable if the correct test procedures had not been followed.

I have made my decision based on the nature of the product being tested and my previous experience of testing. The testing stage is important especially as semiconductor devices need to be reliable and have predictable electronic properties so they can be used in the design of other electronic devices. All the tests are essential to make sure our product works fully. By just missing one simple final test it can jeopardise the entire integrity of the product. From previous experience when I worked on the project based learning assignment, I learnt the hard way the importance of testing. We failed to break down the testing of our software design sufficiently. When we came to test our design at the end it didn’t work and it was extremely difficult to pin point the problem. We had to go back to the initial design stage and redesign our code which took a lot of time and meant were unable to get the final design working to the level which we required. This leads me to conclude that testing is important and should not be skipped.

I have decided to repeat all the tests not just the one which was missed as this is the most cost effective way of doing it. The batch of products that had missed the test have been aborted so we need to re-manufacture them. This will have the same cost if you repeat one or all of the tests. To rerun the testing stage will take 4 days and will hold up the production. If step 6 is delayed it will delay steps 5, 7, 8 and 9. This means that the assembly, configuration and product marking will be delayed which will lead to a delay in product to market. As I learnt from the PBL project its better to spend more time on the testing. If you don’t test your design fully you may end up having to go right back to the initial design phase and reworking your product. This would cost more money and time and is not an ideal situation to be in especially if you are working to a deadline. It can then comprise the quality of your work if you are rushing to get it finished in time. Because this project has no deadline it means that although the extra time incurred is a slight annoyance it will not matter so much about adding an extra 4 days to the project. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Mistakes are often made and happen when you aren’t expecting them. When I make a mistake I think quickly in order to asses the situation and then draw from my previous experience to help me decide the best course of action. It is important for the company to have a well tested product. If the product is faulty it has a bad impact on the company selling the product which would have a bad impact on me as an employee of the company. A one off mistake is not going to have a dramatic impact on the company. If mistakes keep happening repeatedly over a longer period of time, then the company’s reputation will suffer because people are expecting reliable, high quality products which they aren’t receiving. It is in the company’s best interest to deliver quality goods which have been tested to the highest standard possible and I have to make sure I have done everything possible to ensure this.