-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssuePartial HDI
Our expert contributors provide a complete, detailed view of partial HDI this month. Most experienced PCB designers can start using this approach right away, but you need to know these tips, tricks and techniques first.
Silicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
Cost Drivers
In this month’s issue of Design007 Magazine, our expert contributors explain the impact of cost drivers on PCB designs and the need to consider a design budget. They discuss the myriad design cycle cost adders—hidden and not so hidden—and ways to add value.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
With Tribal Knowledge, Trust but Verify
March 13, 2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Tamara Jovanovic is a design engineer with Happiest Baby, a manufacturer of smart baby beds that alert parents if the infant needs attention and soothes the baby back to sleep. She also recently completed her master’s degree in electrical engineering by studying around her work schedule.
Since Tamara has been absorbing new information from the halls of academia and her workplace, we asked for her thoughts on differentiating between tribal knowledge and documented fact. Is tribal knowledge a friend, foe, or a little of both?
Andy Shaughnessy: Tamara, being a recent grad school student and working in the industry as a designer, you probably have some thoughts on tribal knowledge.
Tamara Jovanovic: As a person who started really young, in the beginning all you seek is help and validation that you're doing a good job or confirmation that you're not making mistakes.
In those first few years, tribal knowledge is welcome. As a young person, you're fresh and eager to learn. You're trying to understand the ins and outs of your job and the industry. With time, you gain some experience, and you realize that suddenly, you have this knowledge that is your own.
You slowly start to see certain things that may be outdated or that there are better ways to do things. However, I don't think tribal knowledge is a “fail,” or necessarily bad. It's a great starting point, but the tech industry progresses so fast and there are new technologies and improvements coming out all the time. I need to do my own research.
Barry Matties: Coming into the industry as a young person, and coworkers were sharing their knowledge, did you question it, or did you just accept it?
Jovanovic: A little of both, really. At my company, it’s not like they say, “Here’s how we do things. You must follow these rules.” It’s more like, “You’re young; here’s what I know and how I do it.” From there on, it’s on me how I use that information. It’s more of a positive way of sharing experiences and knowledge among each other.
We’ve always had a very young and small team, so we work very closely, and we are glad to get each other's input because you can look at something for hours and not realize that there is a small mistake right in front of you. A fresh set of eyes might spot such things immediately. We work together to evolve as a team and adapt better processes that would help save us time and money.
We have a very good culture of taking what we've already done with a grain of salt and seeing if we can improve it.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the March 2023 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
The IPC Hall of Fame and Its Namesake
10/23/2024 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007IPC has been advancing our industry since the organization was founded more than 60 years ago, but it could not have been done without the volunteer efforts of so many members. Each year, some of those members are recognized for their significant contributions through awards such as the Rising Star Award, the Dieter Bergman Fellowship Award, the President's Award, and the Corporate Recognition Award.
Global Citizenship: Comparing and Contrasting the U.S. and China PCB Industries
10/23/2024 | Tom Yang -- Column: Global CitizenshipI have spent a lot of time in the U.S., and one question I am frequently asked is about the differences between the Chinese and U.S. PCB industries. It’s always an interesting question, and I will try to answer it in this month’s column. Certainly, the U.S. was the leader in PCB manufacturing, including developing the processes and technology, which it taught to the Chinese in the late 1980s and ’90s. As a result, China has become a force to be reckoned with in the global PCB market. Having been educated in America and now leading a major PCB manufacturing company in China, I have a unique vantage point when it comes to comparing the two nations’ approaches to PCB production.
Material Insight: David Griesel: Career Success Requires Tenacity, Flexibility
10/23/2024 | Dr. Preeya Kuray -- Column: Material InsightDavid Griesel, CEO of Sunrise Group, has been in the PCB industry for nearly 50 years. “I didn’t even have a desk when I started,” says David, who, as a fresh college graduate, got his start at Norplex, a company in Wisconsin that made plastic. “At that time, I had no idea what plastic was even about.” But it gave him an opportunity to learn the business from the ground up. He worked in customer service, followed by technical sales and marketing through several iterations of the company, including as Isola. I hope you’ll enjoy this interview with David as much as I did.
SEMICON Japan 2024 to Expand Scope with Spotlight on Advanced Design Innovation
10/23/2024 | SEMISEMICON Japan 2024, the largest gathering of leaders from the microelectronics manufacturing supply chain in Japan, will assemble more than 1,000 exhibitors showcasing semiconductor solutions for smart technologies from Dec. 11-13 at Tokyo Big Sight.
Automotive Electronics Control Management Market Size Expected to Reach $48B by 2031
10/23/2024 | Globe NewswireThe automotive electronics control management market was estimated at US$ 29.2 billion in 2022. A CAGR of 5.7% is expected from 2023 to 2031, and the market is expected to reach US$ 48.0 billion by 2031.