Abstract
This paper describes the Failure Analysis (FA) challenges that exist in today’s Personal Computer (PC) environment. The development and advancement in analytical tools and techniques have advanced the understanding and identification of failures, however economic and cost pressures have brought about a significant shift in the evaluation of Failure Analysis as a value add proposition as measured by the bottom line. This paper examines the factors and conditions that must be considered when assessing the FA scope and role, and its establishment as a critical value add requirement to maintain quality leadership and product performance expectations. The need for “Timely Actionable Information” becomes essential as part of the FA approach and a necessity to remain effective and competitive. This paper defines an approach by which this can be accomplished in the dynamic and high speed PC environment where product life cycles are consistently shrinking and the need for analytical techniques that yield “high confidence” answers quickly are becoming necessary. The changing conditions of the PC environment are driving the PC Failure Analysis groups to respond and adapt by establishing an Integrated Failure Analysis framework. This framework may span multiple organizations or companies and must deliver proactive information in a timely manner throughout the product life cycle (PLC). The information is proactive in the sense that FA is now identifying issues and prioritizing which of those to analyze, versus the historical model of waiting for a request by another organization.
