Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1091269
84 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2019 In the world of planning, manufacturing, and consumerism, we rely on the fact that what we design or purchase meets the require- ments set forth. For a consumer, it really is a leap of faith that what we buy does what the label or manufacturer says it will do. For con- sumable goods, that is basically it; if it doesn't work or do what it should, we don't care—just return it. However, in the second tier of this scenario are durable goods. For housing, construction, and other trades that have safety and health concerns, we rely on independent inspection to make sure things are being done correctly and to the standards for which the work must conform. An example could be home electri- cal or plumbing. The work is performed by licensed tradespeople but requires an inspec- tion by a third party. This guarantees what was done is compliant with health and safety standards. If something is found to be incor- rect, the third-party inspector will not pass the work performed until corrections are made. This stops the possibility of unsafe or incorrect work being hidden. Of course, in this case, the consumer cannot pick the third-party inspec- tor or have a say in how the work is performed other than the plan or scope. Now, in our third scenario, we have total control of the product. We design it and de- cide who manufactures it. We give the design and performance requirements and the final criteria. However, this is where the control fal- ters. When we receive our product from the manufacturer, we have to assume that it was manufactured to our specifications. Sure, it may work, but will it work for the long term? It was inspected by the manufacturer and even has their stamp of approval, but that doesn't tell us much. Confidence in Inspection Testing Todd by Todd Kolmodin, GARDIEN SERVICES USA