Cringe at the prospect of taking your product to a test lab? Expect that your prototype, so lovingly assembled, will be battered or burned to death by a bunch of unfriendly, overeager testers? Rather go to the dentist? You’re not alone.
You can choose to do one of two things: resign yourself to the inevitable or take control of the situation—or at least enter this dark phase of product development with some coping strategies. As a recovering EMC engineer having operated a test lab for more years than I care to reflect upon, I’m sharing the following tips and techniques for making the most of the experience and hopefully lessening the pain of a visit to your test lab.
Understanding the Tester’s Attitude
All too common in the business of product evaluation is the attitude of trying to find the most problems possible with a sample. While this is to be expected, the joie de vivre for some testers lies in finding the sample that fails the test. “Gotcha!” might be the response or with the umpire’s “Yer outa here!”
Not that all testers are frustrated IRS-auditor wannabes, but the game does engender a prevalent attitude of faultfinding. Don’t take it personally because it’s just part of the task. And while trying not to sound like an apologist for the overzealous evaluator, some things may help to explain why this attitude exists.
Just imagine studying and working for years to hone your technical skills—learning, studying, praying—only to give people bad news day after day. You might develop a complex as well. But remember that the test-lab worker has as much pride in his efforts as you in yours. He just might need a refresher with Dale Carnegie, that’s all.
And there are the customers that rant and rave about the results, fight about the requirements, give extended philosophical discourses about why the regulations are ridiculous, and take it as a personal affront when their products don’t pass the test.
Do you battle your dentist when it’s time to fill a cavity? The test lab didn’t create the requirements, just as the dentist didn’t make you consume sucrose-encrusted confections. They’re just doing their job, and you’ll get more attention, care, and focus if you let the tester do just that. Remember, we’re just trying to help keep you safe from the lawyers. (They are really great people, and we don’t have anything against them.)
It Ain’t Over ‘Til the Fat Lady Sings
Taken a long car ride with a six-year-old lately? Five minutes into the ride, the refrain begins: “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
In the lab, it’s “Are we passing? Are we passing?” Let the person get through the test before pestering for the results. If you rush for a quick thumbs-up, you may be disappointed later when the last frequency band gets checked, the last test is run, and a problem comes to light.
We labbies recognize that you’re at the end of the product cycle—and maybe the end of your rope. You’re getting pressure to finish the last nettlesome issue of your project, but eke out that last drop of patience and let the tester complete his gig.
Get the Whole Picture
In this business, there is a temptation to stop testing when a failure is found. The best approach is to get through all the testing to make sure you have a complete picture of the product’s performance/conformance. Ask the tester if the entire test was run and, if not, what might be the undiscovered problems. Find out what kind of retesting might be required if modifications to the product are needed.
Remember the Scout Motto: Be Prepared
You don’t need to pack beef jerky or trail mix for this adventure, but it is immensely important to assemble the right information and accessories for a successful test. This is especially important if the test lab is some distance away from your company, and the test could be delayed because an item has been forgotten.
To limit the “oops” factor, most labs have checklists for their clients. I know they’re a pain to go over and get ready, but if the lab you’re dealing with issues checklists—and the best ones want you to be prepared—then fill them out entirely. You undoubtedly will surprise them by being one of the few customers who actually does this.
If you have the luxury of time and access to the lab, schedule a visit some weeks in advance of the test. Bring the product, if possible, or photos, drawings, and specifications.
Tell us how the product is used and how it is to be marketed. Most commercial labs work on everything from cell phones to spaceships, so it is important to have a succinct summary of what the product is, to whom you are marketing it, and what options and operational conditions need to be considered. Ask about special cabling necessary to fit in the test facility, what equipment the lab needs to support the testing, and if you should bring your own soldering iron, screwdriver, or wrench.
Showing Up Is Half of the Success
Now, every lab values every customer, just as every politician values every constituent. But truth be told, the best service is rendered to the cooperative customer that witnesses the testing.
Find time to interact with the tester. Bypass the mucky-mucks in the front office and hang with the guy or gal who actually is pushing the buttons on the test equipment. If your product has problems, you’ll benefit from their experience. The advice might not be what you want to hear, but it may save you time and money in the long run.
Having acquired a cathode-ray-tube tan over the years, I know the problems that arise with product compliance are fairly commonplace. Your tester probably can give a fairly accurate general diagnosis in a short time. A good approach is to team with them because you have information on the design, and they can offer clues to compliance. But at any rate, show your face.
Scheduling: Timeliness and Anticipating Problems
The only thing that is for sure in a test lab’s operation is the variability of the schedule: It is written in pencil. One of the biggest nonproductive hassles of any lab’s operation is juggling clients and their schedules. Products fail tests, blow up (not too often), or otherwise don’t cooperate; airplanes are delayed; people elope unexpectedly. All types of situations occur which affect scheduling.
We had a project that was scheduled well in advance. When the day came for the test, the engineer didn’t show up. We called the company and learned that no one there knew where he was or why he hadn’t showed up at our facility. It turned out that the guy had quit and didn’t tell anybody. Mystery solved, but it’s enough to drive you nuts some days.
This is a bit of an unusual case, but it is the rare project that completes without some delays or distractions. It is not unusual to hold 25% of an ongoing project pending the resolution of some problem. Consequently, those projects have to be shoehorned into the lab queue.
Depending on the type of testing you want performed, the market conditions, and other intangibles (holidays, earthquakes, or plagues), the lab backlog may vary from nothing to days to many weeks. But every lab has cancellations, delays, and other problems because of uncooperative test samples and even test-uncooperative personnel (none of mine, of course). If you’re in a hurry, ask to be put on the waiting list, get friendly with the scheduler, and cross your fingers. Someone might cancel and open a spot for you.
And if you’re really looking to make a difference, such as finishing on time, be ready and do your homework. Prepare those checklists, do some pretesting, and possibly spend some money up-front with the lab or a knowledgeable EMC consultant during the design cycle to minimize problems during the testing.
Pricing
Pricing usually is fixed, or by the task, or by a combination of the two. Unless you’re sure the product will pass, you may want to budget an additional 15% to 30% on retesting just in case.
Ask the lab for their pricing policy for retesting, engineering, debugging, and other tasks. Shop around for the best price, but keep an eye on the value that you expect. Value in this business is more than accuracy of results. It also involves timeliness, understanding the requirements, foreseeing problems, and delivering assistance with engineering support and modifications if you need it.
If you’re in a budget bind, one strategy that doesn’t work is the promise “You’ll have all of our work if you cut us a break just this one time.” Most labs have heard it all before. If you’re bottom-fishing on price, you may just get what you pay for.
Of course, feel free to haggle, but you’ll probably find most labs won’t sharpen their pencil for more than a 10% reduction. They may not budge at all. If you’ve got a line of products coming through, it certainly is worth it to ask for volume discounts. You’ll probably find that the discount will kick in after a certain number of projects or a certain dollar threshold has been reached.
The In-House Lab
Many large companies have the luxury of in-house test capabilities. Having success with these resources mainly lies in respecting the test folks there. At many places, the compliance guys are viewed as the evil stepchildren in the company.
This often breeds an attitude that the tester may seem out to get the design engineer, especially the high-falutin’ fancy-pants digital designer. Of course, this is counterproductive for everyone. So, if you have an in-house tester, next time you see him, give him a big hug. He’ll appreciate it. He may even hug you back.
Remedy and Recourse
If you do have a bad experience, the best labs will work to remedy the situation, offering to retest, reduce charges, and expedite future projects. Although this article doesn’t address any legal redress, remember to review the terms and conditions of the lab’s quotation or proposal. Often, the liability—except in malicious or criminal activities—is limited to the cost of the testing performed. Let’s hope none of us have to go there.
Conclusion
I hope some of this insight will help you succeed the next time you take a trip to the lab. Since the best result for everyone is a passing product, the way to get there is by preparation and promptness. But success, as in many things, is a blend of tangibles and intangibles. Negotiate in good faith, but demand good value. Be ready and be organized. You’ll get what you want.
About the Author
Michael Violette is president of Washington Laboratories, a compliance testing and engineering company. He has more than 15 years in the EMC business. Mr. Violette received a B.S.E.E. from Virginia Tech and managed to wrestle a PE license from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Somehow, he got NARTE to certify him as an EMC engineer. Washington Laboratories, 7560 Lindbergh Dr., Gaithersburg, MD 20879, 301-417-0220, e-mail: [email protected].
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June 2001