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APRIL 2021 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 55 Phase 4: Process Verification and Volume Ramp Volume manufacturing qualification: e focus is on testing the product and all supporting materials in a customer environment and dem- onstrating that the product can be supported in the field. is is important for product quality and process refinement. Any final engineering changes should be actioned before large-scale manufacture and manufacturing should dem- onstrate the ability to build and ship in volume. Also, the work force can be trained to use any new production processes, machines, or tool- ing. Customer support can sign off on the field's ability to support the product. Evolution of manufacturing efficiencies and yields: e first process results are gath- ered for yield improvement studies, etc. Market and supply chain development: Market push can continue with products vis- ible at trade fairs, customer visits, etc. Regular order quantities can be placed, and suppliers tested for delivery times and quantities. Spe- cific deliverables include: • Functional release sign-off • Shipment release sign-off Phase 5: Volume Shipment, Enhancement, and Support Product is supported by manufacturing and field sales: Phase 5 enhancement is a feature or function that significantly enhances an exist- ing product and requires tracking through an abbreviated product phase review. It is a ma- jor product addition, but not a new product re- quiring a new part/product number. Finance measures and reviews the actual return on in- vestment in the product and compares the mea- surement to original product goals. Maturity re- quirements are developed, and discontinuance process is initiated at the exit of phase 5. Issues to consider include: • Periodic ROI calculation • Distribution and field service • Spares and repair • Take-back, disassembly, recovery, re-use, refurbishment, and disposal Phase 6: Maturity Responsible organizations plan for discon- tinuance: Discontinuance planning takes into consideration customer satisfaction, the mi- gration of customer applications, and parrot- ing of third-party products. ese issues re- quire critical consideration in future product planning. Issues to consider include: • Product demise • Disassembly and disposal • Migration or discontinuance plans is entire PLC and the PRP are linked (Fig- ure 4). e PRP process is part of the larger enterprise-wide business planning process (Table 1). e PLC and PRP are also tied to the TQC process (Figure 5). PCB007 Martin Tarr is a retired PCB technologist, and lecturer in the MS engineering degree program at Bolton University. Figure 5: The PLC with linkages, major activities, and checkpoints/milestones. (Source: HP Planning Guide)