Autotech Daily
The Latest Lifecycle Management Tool: QualityBy Steve Plumb
June 20, 2008
As the old saying goes, those who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it. This is the case in terms of most quality issues in the auto industry, with 80% of problems being repeat offenders, according to Dyadem International Ltd. in Richmond Hill., Ont.
The problem, CEO Kevin North tells AutoTech Daily, is a lack of communication and information sharing among departments and regions. Product lifecycle management goes a long way to address this on a product development and design basis. But North says quality still is left largely out of the equation. And, he maintains, current quality systems tend to focus on fixing problems on the shop floor without making long-term, big picture corrections.
To better manage quality throughout a product's lifecycle, Dyadem launched its new Stature enterprise-level tool last summer and coined the term quality lifecycle management, or QLM. The Web-based system allows design, engineering, manufacturing and quality control personnel to leverage common design and process failure mode effects analysis (DFMEA/PFMEA) data. Each constituent can input and access information, which is stored on a common database.
The system incorporates historical data and creates a detailed workflow analysis to help learn and prevent repeating errors in the future. North describes the process as building a bill of compliance to meet quality and regulatory specifications.
The company took a big step toward achieving its goals with a major contract with General Motors Corp. that was announced earlier this month. Under the deal, GM will use Dyadem's Stature platform to manage quality across its global engineering and manufacturing operations, encompassing some 22,000 users worldwide.
GM currently is pilot testing the system in Michigan and plans a full launch later this summer. After the system has been in place for about 18 months, Dyadem plans to do a case study for GM to quantify benefits. But North expects other automakers and suppliers to join the bandwagon well before then, noting that three or four contracts with major suppliers are due to be announced in coming months. He also anticipates a wave of competitors— including current PLM providers—to launch similar products and says some companies already have approached Dyadem about possible partnerships. Meanwhile, Dyadem is developing its own interface to allow information to be shared across QLM and PLM platforms.
Founded in 1993, Dyadem currently has 130 employees and derives 25%-30% of its business from the auto industry. The company expects to at least double its headcount in the next few years.
