IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1546209
sibilities, and regular opportunities to identify concerns early. Invite fabricators and assemblers to critical design reviews rather than waiting until the files are released. Create an environment where team members feel comfortable challenging assumptions, identifying risks, and asking how a decision will affect the rest of the product. The goal is to build better connections. Great co-design teams know who is carrying the baton, who will receive it next, and what must happen to complete every exchange successfully. Connect Everyone Through a Single Source of Truth That may sound like common sense, but fractures within a team often begin with the flow of infor- mation. The project starts with one baton. Then someone creates a second spreadsheet, another person saves a separate copy of the design, and an important decision becomes buried in an email. Before long, the team is carrying several batons and, like our ill-fated Olympic team, heading home without qualifying. Just creating a single source of truth is not enough; the team must commit to using it. Assign ownership of the information, make it easily accessible, and establish clear rules for where files, requirements, decisions, comments, and revisions are maintained. Conduct reviews using the live source, record deci- sions there, and retire outdated files so they cannot quietly re-enter the project. The principle is simple: If information affects the product, it belongs in the shared system, not in someone's inbox, personal folder, or memory. A co-design team succeeds when everyone knows where the baton is, whether it is current, and who is responsible for carrying it forward. Turn Individual Expertise Into Shared Product Success Some believe that such a co-design ecosystem dimin- ishes individual expertise, but the opposite is true: It gives that expertise a greater purpose. The electrical engineer, PCB designer, mechanical engineer, sourc- ing specialist, fabricator, assembler, and test engineer each bring knowledge that the others may not pos- sess. The goal is to connect that knowledge so every decision strengthens the complete product. E L E M E N TA RY, M R . WATS O N AUGUST 2026 I I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE 21 That will require change (no matter how dreaded) and a change in how success is measured. Completing the schematic, layout, enclosure, or fabrication package should not be considered a victory if the product later experiences sourcing problems, manufacturing delays, test failures, or an expensive redesign. Success belongs to the entire team and should be measured by the final result: product performance, manufacturability, cost, schedule, reliability, and first-pass success. Make this practical by establishing shared product goals at the beginning, reviewing risks as a team, and recognizing people who prevent prob- lems even when those problems fall outside their immediate responsibilities. Encourage every team member to ask, "How will my decision affect the next person and the final product?" The fastest individual runner does not win the relay. That's for the team that successfully carries the baton across the finish line. I-CONNECT007 John Watson is a professor at Palomar College, San Marcos, California and has recently added instruction at U.C. San Diego and U.C. Santa Cruz. To read past columns, click here. " Some believe that such a co-design ecosystem diminishes individual expertise, but the opposite is true: It gives that expertise a greater purpose."