How to improve the hardware delivery cycle

赵玉田

How to improve the hardware delivery cycle [Copy link]

Source: Hardware 100,000 Whys

The lead time for most hardware cannot be shortened because some things have their own inherent cycles.

When I was still working at Huawei, the most outrageous thing I heard was a leader rushing to the hardware department and saying, "Aren't you doing lean and agile development? This hardware will take 90 man-days, you put in 90 people and get it done in one day."

Because some steps in hardware have their inherent cycles, we must first sort out the things that cannot be shortened in hardware development, then find out the key paths and adopt a coordinated approach.

1. Critical Path Method

We need to apply the "coordination method" and first analyze the dependencies of the activities.

Activity	Dependent activities
	A	B	C	D	AND	F	G	H
A			X
B							X
C
D	X
AND			X
F		X		X	X			X
G			X
H	X

Then draw the progress network based on the dependency relationship

By pushing forward or backward along the project schedule network path, the total time of each network path can be obtained. The schedule network path with the longest total time is the "critical path", and the activities on the critical path are "critical activities". The floating time of the critical path is zero. Based on the critical path, the free floating time of other activities can be calculated.

By adding the estimated duration and the dependencies between activities, we can determine the key points of the schedule.

Key path (dashed line in the image below)

Then the project team can shorten the critical path duration based on the assessed activity resource requirements by ensuring resource input and other measures. For example, the duration of activity D can be shortened from 20 to 15 by increasing manpower.

Using automated tools such as Microsoft Office Project can make the preparation of schedules easier and faster:

2. Reduce the number of steps that can be cut

When I first started my business, I signed a contract to get a project and was asked to deliver the product in one month. When I signed the contract, there was no schematic diagram and the structure had not been designed yet.

Within one month, we completed hardware development, PCB production and processing, chassis design and processing, and cable design and processing.

At that time, I had already assessed that it might be necessary to revise the version, so when I submitted the first version, I asked a young man to draw the PCB. The young man was very brave and told me that he would help me finish it all night long!

I slept uneasily all night. I sent him a WeChat message at 2 a.m., but he hadn't replied. I had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, at 7 a.m., I received three words: "Not done!"

So, I found an assistant to help me draw the package, and I drew the PCB myself. When I was working on hardware at Huawei, the main development tool was PPT, so I had not been familiar with AD, PADS, EE, and Allegro for many years. Learn now and do now!

I worked from 8 am to 4 am the next day, then took a taxi to Shenzhen. When I arrived in Shenzhen, I finished drawing the PCB at Costa near the exit, contacted the factory and asked them if it could be done today.

The boss of the PCB factory at that time was named Cui. He told me that it was impossible to provide the PCB files at 14:00 and ship the goods before 24:00.

I said: You don’t have to apply green paint or silk-screen printing; if you arrange another person to follow up on this order today, I will give you more money!

Later, the next day, my colleagues in Hangzhou got the PCB board and started soldering components for testing.

3. Do things right the first time!

In fact, doing things right the first time is the highest efficiency.

There is a follow-up to the above. In order to speed up the process of getting the circuit board, we did not apply green oil on the PCB. There was no problem at the beginning. Since there was a lot of water at our equipment site, the circuit board was used to control the solenoid valve. Except for one accident at the site, after the water pipe burst, all the boards could not be used.

After cleaning all the water, you can use it. Although we have completed the purpose of trial production and preliminary verification, all the steps you skip will come back to trouble you.

In hardware projects, it is most important to get things done right the first time, because rework is the biggest waste and the biggest obstacle to progress.

In the past, some departments in Huawei over-emphasized "first version success", which caused many people to falsify their KPIs. However, "first version success" is the direction and goal that hardware engineers should pursue.

This is also what we mentioned in our video course. We need to control the problem in the early stage. Similarly, we need to avoid many risks in our design, and we should consider them clearly before submitting the board. We cannot rely on trial and error by modifying the board again and again.

In order to reduce errors and get things done right the first time, we often use methods such as process-based, standardization, prescribed action execution, review, inspection, etc. These methods will increase the workload, but they can ensure that you get things done right the first time and improve the final delivery progress.

4. Overtime

Engineer: Boss, I will finish drawing the board before leaving get off work, you go first!

The next day the leader asked: Why haven’t you finished the painting yet?

A: I haven’t gotten off work yet!

We should do the first three points reasonably, make reasonable plans, do not make changes at will, and do not let the demand spread. Avoid the fourth method!