Diagnostics fault finding methods
Documentation added to the Knowledge Study.
Link to additional information:
"Link Here" Introduction to fault finding methods
Topic:- Observation.
Observing more effectively
The area of observation is linked with identification, recognition and attention. One of the ways that someone may suggest that some action could be carried out better, more efficiently or more effectively is likely to start with observation. Observation is a key element in learning and in designing improvements.
It is interesting to ask how can someone be shown how to improve the effectiveness of their own observations. Indeed, is this possible or is effective observation something that is pre programmed or genetic.
The flowing comment attempts to suggest ways that a person may make their observations more effective.
Whilst driving home from work, thinking about observation, I decided to consider some new ways to observe the things that I could see on the journey home. I looked at the scenery from the motorway and noticed horizons from hill crests and pillars with lamps and signs. This helped me to understand that many of the things that I could see had either a definite horizontal or definite vertical orientation. I decided that I would look for things that had orientations that were not and were not near to horizontal or vertical. For the next few miles, to my amazement, I saw many things that I had never seen or noticed before in probably 10 years of driving along that route.
Later that evening, whilst I was getting changed in my bedroom, I decided to use texture as the key thing to look for. I noticed that nearly everything, furniture and utilities were all smooth to the touch. The only thing that was really different (apart from fabrics) was the old fashioned wood chip wall paper. This made me appreciate it with a new interest. When I went down to the lounge I noticed that the only thing there that did not have a smooth texture was the again old fashioned stone tile fire place. Noticing this meant that I could see the stone tiled fire place in a new light. In fact, on further study the fire place lives sympathetically with the window blinds, the carpet and the chairs from a texture perspective if not from a colour perspective and in fact balances the room rather well.
This idea can also work in manufacturing areas such as aircraft manufacture. Texture gradients and edges for instance can provide a focus in which new things can be noticed. Looking at processes from the perspective of a weightless environment can also make one see movements from a different perspective. If the environment was weightless, why would one go to the trouble of performing intricate and difficult movements in two dimensions when something could easily utilise the third dimension and save a great deal of time and effort. Momentum would become a far more important factor than weight. Such observations may cause a person to identify new ways of doing things that would not otherwise have been seen.
Observation is a critical area for process improvement. This text has attempted to show that with imagination and dedication, a different way of thinking can unlock hidden treasures.
Record Status:- general interest. : Created on 12/2012 : Last updated on 3/2013.
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