Engineering Case Studies And Best Practices

I’ve been waiting a long time to show an example of what gets me up in the morning… Because in this world, failure isn’t the end — it’s the start of real insight! 💥 During hot-fire testing, an additively manufactured GRCop-42 combustion chamber failed — and with it, offered a powerful #FailureAnalysis case study on the critical role of process rigor in additive manufacturing, especially when builds are interrupted. We conducted a full failure analysis: reviewing test day data, manufacturing records, post-processing steps, and metallurgical characteristics of both the failed chamber and adjacent components. 🔬 Key findings: •⁠ ⁠Failure occurred at a build interruption location, witness line, with metallographic analysis revealing higher porosity than expected. •⁠ ⁠This localized porosity reduced tensile strength and elongation, triggering the failure. •⁠ ⁠Interestingly, test bars with emulated build interruptions showed no performance degradation — confirming that proper restart procedures preserve part integrity. Additive manufacturing offers incredible promise, but as this work shows, it also demands discipline. Especially when the stakes are rocket engines. 🔗 Full article: https://lnkd.in/ekg-t4MH Ben Williams, Colton Katsarelis, Will Tilson, and Paul Gradl, thank you for the collaboration in making this fun analysis and article! #AdditiveManufacturing #RocketEngines #FailureAnalysis #MaterialsScience #GRCop42

🎯 Quality Engineers – Part 4 Let’s talk about a key part of any GMP-regulated process—validation. You’ve probably seen IQ/OQ/PQ on every project checklist. But do you really know what it looks like when you’re in the middle of it, making sure everything works the way it’s supposed to? Here’s how I handled a real validation from start to finish 👇 IQ/OQ/PQ – Explained Through Experience: 🛠 Installation Qualification (IQ) – Did we install it right? Verified the equipment was installed properly. Checked that power, air, and other utilities were connected and functioning. Confirmed all components, gauges, and sensors were present and calibrated. Ensured the environment met required conditions (clean, controlled). ⚙️ Operational Qualification (OQ) – Does it operate under all expected conditions? Tested the machine across its min/max operating ranges. Ran thermal and pressure mapping to check uniformity. Simulated worst-case scenarios (like temperature or pressure deviations). Verified alarms triggered correctly when limits were exceeded. 📈 Performance Qualification (PQ) – Does it work under real conditions with actual product? Ran multiple production lots using real materials. Performed seal strength tests, visual inspections, and transit simulations. Ensured all products met quality specs under normal operating conditions. 💡 Real Example I Handled: I validated a new sealing machine used for sterile packaging. Here’s how I broke it down: IQ: Confirmed the machine was installed as per specifications. Verified all calibrations and ensured the machine was set up in a controlled environment. Checked utilities—power, air supply, and all connections. OQ: Tested sealing temperature and pressure ranges—from lowest to highest settings. Simulated power failures and checked system recovery and alarms. Conducted empty cycle tests to ensure consistent operation without product. PQ: Ran 3 full production lots using actual materials. Performed: Seal strength tests – all results within validated range. Visual inspections – no defects or seal issues. Transit simulations – no failures after handling and vibration testing. After validation, we saw zero deviations, and the process ran smooth and compliant. Why IQ/OQ/PQ Matters: It’s not just about ticking boxes—it’s about confidence in your process. When you validate right, you reduce risk, avoid CAPAs, and ensure your product reaches the end user safely. Pro Tip: Be hands-on with validation. Know why you're testing each step, and how it ties back to quality and patient safety. Let me know if you’ve been through a tough validation—or want to dive deeper into real-world problem solving in quality! 💬 #QualityEngineering #Validation #IQOQPQ #MedicalDevices #Pharma #GMP #FDACompliance #EngineeringSimplified #CAPA #ContinuousImprovement #Part4 #LifeSciences

A $12 prototype can make $50,000 of engineering analysis look ridiculous A team of engineers was stuck on a bearing failure analysis for six weeks. Vibration data, FFT analysis, metallurgy reports - they had everything except answers. The client kept asking for root cause and the engineers kept finding more variables to analyze. Temperature gradients, load distributions, contamination levels, manufacturing tolerances. Each analysis created more questions. Then the intern did something that made the engineers feel stupid. She 3D printed a transparent housing and filled it with clear oil so the engineers could actually see what was happening inside the bearing assembly. Took her four hours and $12 in materials. They watched the oil flow patterns and immediately saw the lubrication wasn't reaching the critical contact points. All their sophisticated analysis was based on assuming proper lubrication distribution. Wrong assumption. Six weeks of wasted effort. The visual prototype didn't just solve the problem - it changed how the engineers approach these types of investigations. Now they build crude mockups before diving into analysis rabbit holes. Cardboard, tape, clear plastic, whatever works. Physical models force you to confront your assumptions before you spend weeks analyzing the wrong thing. Sometimes the cheapest prototype teaches you more than the most expensive simulation. #engineering #prototyping #problemsolving

Replacing "Agile" with engineering to achieve true agility - Walmart case study. https://lnkd.in/e_7nbXMv From the article: "After years of "Agile Transformation" followed by rolling out the Scaled Agile Framework, we were not delivering any better. In fact, we delivered less frequently with bigger failures than when we had no defined processes." "having the teams focus on Contract Driven Development (CDD) and evolutionary coding was critical. CDD is the process where teams with dependencies collaborate on API contract changes and then validate they can communicate with that new contract before they begin implementing the behaviors." "we needed to make sure that all of the tests required to validate a change were part of the commit for that change." "we are not simply creating unit tests. We are looking at every step, starting with product discovery, to find ways to validate the outcomes of that step. We are designing fast and efficient test suites. We are using techniques like BDD to validate that the requirements are clear. Testing becomes the job." There's much more, but I am near the char limit. (This was posted in reddit here: https://lnkd.in/efbwSN6i) #agility #leadership #agile

Are you part of a real team? Or do you sometimes feel isolated, unclear, and disconnected, even though you're surrounded by colleagues? Early in my career, I naively believed that assembling a group of high performers automatically equated to a high-performing team. But reality proved otherwise. Instead of synergy, I witnessed friction. The team wasn’t meshing; it was like gears grinding without proper lubrication. Each high performer, while brilliant on their own, seemed to have their own agenda, often pulling in different directions. The energy and time spent on internal friction was enormous, and the anticipated results? Well, they remained just that – anticipated. It was a stark realization that a team's effectiveness isn't just about individual brilliance—it's about harmony, alignment, and collaboration. With our workplace becoming increasingly diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic this is no easy feat. So, in my quest to understand the nuances of high performing teams, I reached out to my friend Daria Rudnik. Daria is a Team Architect - specializing in engineering remote teams for sustainable growth. She shared 5 key insights that can make all the difference: 1. Define a Shared Goal ↳Why? A team truly forms when united by a shared goal that can only be achieved together, not just by adding up individual efforts, ↳How? Involve the team in setting a clear, measurable goal at the project's start. Regularly revisit and communicate this goal to keep everyone aligned and motivated. 2. Cultivate Personal Connections ↳Why? Personal connections hold a team together, boosting trust, support, and understanding for a more productive environment. ↳How? Begin meetings with a social check-in. Let team members share updates or feelings, enhancing connection and understanding. 3. Clear Communication ↳Why? It’s the backbone of a successful team, preventing misunderstandings and building trust. ↳How? Hold regular team meetings and check-ins. Ensure a safe environment for expressing thoughts and concerns. 4. Defined Roles and Responsibilities ↳Why? Clear roles prevent overlap and ensure task coverage, giving a sense of ownership and accountability. ↳How? Outline everyone’s roles at the project's start, ensuring understanding of individual contributions to overall goals. 5. Provide Regular Feedback and Recognition ↳Why? Feedback clarifies strengths and areas for improvement. Recognition boosts morale and motivation. ↳How? Hold regular, constructive feedback sessions. Publicly recognize and reward achievements. Remember, 'team' isn't just a noun—it's a verb. It requires ongoing effort and commitment to work at it, refine it, and nurture it. 👉 Want to supercharge your team's performance? Comment “TEAM” below to grab your FREE e-book and learn how to 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦'𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 in just 90 days, courtesy of Daria.

How to Extract Information from Stakeholders 🎯 Getting accurate information from stakeholders can make or break your financial planning process. Each stakeholder speaks a completely different language and focuses on totally different metrics. The secret? Knowing exactly what to ask and how to ask it. ➡️ CEO CONVERSATIONS CEOs think big picture, so focus on strategic direction and vision. You want company strategies for next quarter, budget allocation expectations, risk tolerance levels, and market positioning goals. The money question: "What are the top 3 strategic priorities that should drive our Q4 planning?" ➡️ HEAD OF SALES Sales leaders live and breathe pipeline projections and customer acquisition costs. Get those sales pipeline projections, customer acquisition costs, territory performance data, and resource requirements for targets. My go-to approach: "What's the realistic revenue projection for Q4, and what support do you need?" ➡️ MARKETING DIRECTOR Marketing lives for lead generation and brand metrics. You need campaign performance metrics, lead generation forecasts, brand awareness initiatives, and marketing budget requirements. Hit them with: "How many qualified leads can marketing deliver to support the sales targets?" ➡️ HR MANAGER HR thinks talent and workforce planning 24/7. Grab headcount projections, recruitment timelines, employee retention rates, and training and development needs. Start here: "What's our hiring timeline to support the growth plan, and any retention concerns?" ➡️ ENGINEERING LEAD Engineering leaders obsess over product development roadmaps. Collect that product development roadmap, technical debt priorities, infrastructure requirements, and team capacity information. The must-ask question: "What features can be delivered by Q4, and what technical investments are critical?" ➡️ ACCOUNTING MANAGER Accounting thinks financial health and compliance every single day. Get cash flow projections, budget variance analysis, financial compliance requirements, and cost optimization opportunities. The essential question: "What's our cash flow outlook, and are there any financial constraints for our growth plans?" ➡️ UNIVERSAL BEST PRACTICES These six practices work with EVERY stakeholder: Be Specific: Ask for concrete numbers, dates, and measurable outcomes rather than vague commitments. Respect Their Time: Come prepared with focused questions and provide context upfront. Speak Their Language: Use terminology and metrics relevant to their department and priorities. Validate Understanding: Repeat back key points to ensure alignment and avoid miscommunication. Follow Up: Send summaries of key decisions and next steps within 24 hours. Close the Loop: Show how their input directly influences decisions and outcomes. === What's your approach to stakeholder communication? Share your best practices in the comments below 👇

As an advisor to tech scaleups, and a former CTO and SVP of Engineering,  I've often encountered a familiar CEO complaint: "Our engineering team is too slow!" However, focusing solely on increasing individual productivity is rarely the solution. Sometimes the answer is changing the organizational structure. 🔍 The Issue with Flat Structures: Time to market was a major problem in a scale-up I advised, even though they had a flat structure where 40+ engineers reported directly to the VP of engineering and all of them shared equal accountability to the delivery of the software. 🚧 The Consequences: Major overcommitment.  People raised their hands to take on work even if the group was super extended. There was nobody that fully understood the team’s capacity vs the actual workload they took on. This approach led to a lack of predictability, chronic delays, unhappy customers, and ultimately, a tarnished reputation. 🛠️ The Solution: Transitioning to a hierarchical structure with focused teams and accountable experienced leaders was the game-changer. This shift brought in clarity, accountability, and much-needed structure. 📈 The Results: Predictable schedules, improved customer satisfaction, and a thriving engineering culture. ✅ Takeaways for Your Organization: Examine your organization with critical eyes: Is your ownership and accountability structure clear? Are your teams sized and focused appropriately? Do your leaders have the authority to deliver effectively? For more on the case study and about building a sustainable, efficient, and customer-centric engineering team in the blog post. 💭 I'm curious to hear your thoughts: Have you faced similar challenges? How did you address them? Let's share insights and grow together! #EngineeringManagement #Leadership #Productivity  _______________ ➡️ I am Talila Millman, a fractional CTO,  a management advisor, and a leadership coach. I help CEOs and their C-suite grow profit and scale through optimal Product portfolio and an operating system for Product Management and Engineering excellence.  📘 My book The TRIUMPH Framework: 7 Steps to Leading Organizational Transformation will be published in Spring 2024 https://lnkd.in/eVYGkz-e

Half-way through a $20,000,000 spec home build in Bel Air. I was hired to address a major issue: The build was already $2,000,000+ over budget. Something had gone terribly awry. Upon closer examination, 2 critical issues emerged: 1) Interior finishes and fixtures were undefined. - The interior paint.  - The countertops.  - The ceiling fans. - The appliances.   - The cabinets.  - The lighting.  - The tile. Not a single spec was identified. This was intentional. It was done to lower the initial design cost. But when it came time to pick? The developer & the GC had differing thoughts. With the developer’s preferences far above the GC’s allowances. 2) There was no contingency built in. So as change orders piled up? There was no additional capital expenditure set aside to accommodate them.  If you’re an owner, be careful. Undefined scopes can be effective for certain projects. But without proper oversight, it will destroy the budget. P.S. We cover this case study & many others in my newsletter. The link to EDB Field Notes is in the comments below. 

Toronto almost built the world’s most sustainable neighborhood. The project didn't go through, but instead turned low-carbon concrete from fiction into reality. In 2017, Sidewalk Labs unveiled an audacious plan: transform a patch of Toronto’s waterfront into the world’s first climate-positive neighborhood. Its Quayside proposal featured buildings made from mass timber, sidewalks that melted snow, and a radical blueprint for cutting urban carbon to near-zero. Then, in 2020, the project was scrapped but was not forgotten. Sidewalk Labs had spent years rallying suppliers, contractors, and municipalities to rethink how cities are built. Even after the deal fell apart, its vision of climate-smart materials didn’t vanish. Aecon took the baton. At its Holland Landing Innovation Centre, the construction giant teamed up with CarbiCrete and Lafarge Canada to pilot a game-changing solution: Concrete blocks made with zero cement, eliminating one of the most carbon-intensive materials on Earth. The results? Stronger performance and a 20x lower global warming potential. Then they doubled down. Aecon launched a second pilot with Carbon Upcycling, embedding captured CO₂ directly into concrete and slashing emissions by 30% and improving strength. One cancelled project. Two pilot programs. Dozens of imitators. It's being written into spec sheets. Municipalities are demanding it. Suppliers like Canal Block are scaling up commercial production. Vision travels, even when projects don’t. If you’re pushing an innovative material, tech, or process, don’t underestimate what a bold prototype can unlock. The ripple effect is real. — Thanks for reading! I write real estate case studies to challenge and inspire way we shape communities. Subscribe: proptimal.com/newsletter.

Great engineers aren't motivated by free drinks on Friday. Time to stop missing what actually matters: Your top performers don't need free lunches or office games. They need systems that respect their expertise. When I see engineering teams struggling, I look for: Unnecessary meetings stealing deep work time. Decision bottlenecks requiring multiple approvals. Technical debt that's acknowledged but never addressed. Arbitrary deadlines set without engineering input. These are the true productivity killers. The best engineering environments aren't built on fancy benefits. They're built on trust and efficiency. Let engineers own their solutions. Remove obstacles to their flow. Protect their focus time. Because truly exceptional talent doesn't want ping-pong tables. They want the freedom to build excellent systems.