Engineering Ethics

Read the short case study and answer the questions which follow. A critical component X, essential to acceptable performance of a new, state-of-the-art product has very low production yields, due to several design and manufacturing challenges as well as reworked and scrap issues. If start-up product sales do not meet marketing targets, sufficient components would not be produced to meet both production and field service requirements and the contractual agreement with the customer. The manufacturer is unable to expand production capacity fast enough to meet the planned production at current and forecasted yields. Simultaneously, there is another component Y with similar problems and the project team responsible for the component Y has informed New Products Programmme Management on the difficulties. The project team for component Y is now spending lengthy hours in production planning and control meetings. (a) Analyse whether the Programme Management should be informed that they must either delay the introduction of the product for which component X forms part or reduce the launching production rates. [15 marks] (b) Analyse why the management and the design / manufacturing engineers could disagree on the way forward. [10 marks] (c) Based on your analysis in (a) and (b), formulate relevant measures which can be implemented to enhance consensus between management and the engineers, whilst promoting ethical behaviours. [10 marks]