A while back I was in the office, and a gentleman from one of our support sections was in the office. Somehow he’s involved with an update to some lifesaving equipment that has been undergoing some structural updates. Improvements in materials, improving durability, reliability.
The conversation turned to a part that was initially manufactured where we all work, then handed off to an outside contractor. We had all noticed that the part from outside did not fit it’s mating surface correctly. When asked about this, this gentleman said that it was ok, on the drawings the spec said plus or minus one degree..
What drawings? I asked. He showed me the drawings, for this modification to a quite simple but important component of an important piece of lifesaving equipment. A drawing we were never given to look at before it went into production. “Where did the plus or minus come from?” I asked. No one could give me an answer. Couldn’t tell me why we were never given the drawings either.
“One degree isn’t that big a deal, right?”, I was asked.
I said, “would plus or minus a degree be a big deal in a rotor-head gearbox?” No answer.
“I’ll tell you why that one degree is a big deal. This is life support equipment. Rescue equipment that absolutely has to work, every time it’s deployed. No questions. Whomever is receiving this equipment to the deck of their boat is highly likely at the end of their list of options to get home in one piece, to get back to any dock or anchorage.
Without that equipment they are going home in a helicopter, or a rescue boat. They are most likely struggling to salvage a livelihood.
So yea, that one degree is a big deal. Why? Because if we give you one degree of wiggle room on this piece of gear, what do we settle for the next time we do this kind of work? What corner do we cut then?
Pardon me but no. Please don’t come in here nervously laughing your way through a technical coin toss for 1 degree of accuracy in a piece of our equipment. Because what you’re really telling me, at least the impression I’m getting from you in this conversation, is that you don’t place a high degree of importance on this equipment. And that’s not acceptable. Ever.
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