Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1219242
34 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 analysis, we usually talk about it in terms of overstressed parts and making sure those are okay so that they don't blow up, but look at the other side of it. Maybe you can identify some understressed parts you could then swap with cheaper ones because you know it's still going to operate within the parameters that you set. That saves money. Shaughnessy: We ask designers and CAD man- agers how much each design costs the com- pany, and a lot of times, they don't know. I thought designers would know. Banton: Some of it boils down to this: How do you map that out when you're working on four projects simultaneously? Some of this involves the constant change going on from other de- partments giving input. Then, you go to manu- facturing, and that's kind of out of your control. It's not a simple thing to model, but the first step is identifying in the engineering domain the things that we can improve on and ensuring that we're effective from a design perspective. Shaughnessy: How often is cost one of the big criteria that your customers are worried about? I know it varies from segment to segment. Banton: It goes to your previous comment about how they're not sure what the total cost is. It's hard for them to think, "Let's get better at this thing that we don't really understand." However, we've seen that with the right information early in the process, engineers make the most electri- cally sound, cost-effective decisions; they're not trying to spend money just to spend money. Shaughnessy: Good point. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Banton: Designing for profitability is an inter- esting topic. You need to be able to show your company, "This is the material impact we're having, not only because we're building this, but also because we're doing it in a way that's making the company more profitable." That can help the engineering organization be more of a value center inside the company. It's fun- ny because a fabricator can tell you how much it costs to build 10,000 of these boards, but it's much harder for a designer to do that. Shaughnessy: Thanks for your time, Chris. It's always a pleasure. Banton: Thank you, Andy. DESIGN007 Related Links • SE Connect BOM Risk • BOM e-book • OrCAD Trial