Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1161956
32 SMT007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2019 Matties: It sounds like that standard will be adopted. How long was that process? Because you worked with Bosch for five years and tried to change that. Naisbitt: Effectively, it was a three-year pro- gram to develop the test method following the five years taken to produce the required data. Matties: If somebody is looking to drive a new standard, should they expect a three- to five- year window? Naisbitt: Definitely. Matties: That is not an easy task. What was the greatest challenge for you in that process? Naisbitt: Making sure that the document was prepared correctly, accurately, and accepted and signed off by an international group rep- resenting every country that's a member of the World Trade Organization. Their national com- mittee can shadow this. Each national com- mittee may be many people strong. Then, they read through the document and proffer com- ments, which are different stages in the doc- ument development. The maintenance leader, which was me, has to address every single comment, recirculate it, and get approval and authorization to move it to the next stage. Only at that point can people say, "We have it cor - rect now." Once it gets to committee draft for voting, the only changes that can be then made to a document would be of an editorial nature, not technical. To get to that point, you have several iterations, and you have to know what you're doing. There was a huge learning curve for me and everyone involved. Matties: You have to have a vested interest to begin a standard process. Otherwise, what's the point? But it should be met with some scru- tiny because we need to be certain that this is purely technical and not just marketing. Naisbitt: That's absolutely essential. Differenti- ating between the two is key. Matties: The fact that you're driving technology testing and rethinking standards is great; it's a 25-year commitment to this process. What advice would you give to somebody who's starting on a mission to create a new standard? Naisbitt: Take plenty of provisions with you (laughs). The best possible way is to identify the group most accessible to you, which in my experience, will be the trade associations that help support all of this work on an interna- tional level. I've been a member of IPC since 1988. They are incredibly approachable and each of us, in terms of the Technical Advisory Executive Committee (TAEC), have had a man- date from the board of directors to focus on encouraging young people to get involved in our industry and try and take on mentoring as far as we can. I have strongly pursued and sup- ported that throughout most of my career. We've engaged students from local colleges and universities. For example, our chief engi- neer, Bob Smith, is the best electronics engineer I've ever worked with; he's quite extraordinary. His depth of knowledge and understanding is immense. Bob is around 60, and the young man that's working alongside him is learning a ton. Share your enthusiasm with somebody. Get them involved and excited, and give them something to think about. Matties: I appreciate you sharing your knowl- edge with us. Naisbitt: Thank you. SMT007 Effectively, it was a three-year program to develop the test method following the five years taken to produce the required data.