Download this eBook to learn how test automation can really sharpen your competitive edge. Excerpt from this document: A solidly automated system can ensure operators are never required to touch the test station, its instruments or cabling, and cannot modify test settings or skip steps.

1. BEsT PRaCtIcEs fOr tHe PRoDuCt LIfEcYcLe
TOP 5 REASONS
TO AUTOMATE TEST
DESIGN VALIDATION NPI PRODUCTION REPAIR

2. ACCELERATE
DESIGN VALIDATION1.While automated testing ofelectronicproductsat
the manufacturing stage iscommonplace, one area
ofthe product lifecycle thatcouldeasilybenefitfrom
more automation isthe design-validation stage.
Too often atthiscrucial point, design andtest
engineers spendcountlesshoursrunning the same
testson each modification anddesign iteration,
measuring andanalyzing allvariances, and
troubleshooting everyroadblock. There’s a
better way.
Top 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna
MAkE TeDiOuSReWoRk a ThInGOf tHe pAst!

3. 1
Using a flexible test executive and well-defined,
automated test routines,you can set up a design-
validation framework that can easily:
• Rundozensorevenhundredsoftestseven
whenstaffarenotatwork
• Automateerrorhandlingandretries
toreducedowntime
• Gathermeasurementsandcollatetestresults
This will also free up product designers and test
engineers to focus on higher-value tasks like
new-feature designs or even new products, while
ensuring a more seamless transition of product
and test intelligence to the NPI and manufacturing
phases.
ACCELERATE
DESIGN VALIDATIONTop 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna
ONEOEM
REDUCEDITS
DESIGN-VALIDATION
CYCLETIMEBY
90%.
DESIGNVALIDATION

4. MAXIMIZE
EQUIPMENT
USAGE2.
Top 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna
Let’sface it, test instruments are expensive.
In fact, theymake up the bulkofteststation
expenditures.While some testengineersmightlike
spending quality time with the equipment, thatmay
in factnotbe the best use ofeither resource’s time
or capabilities.
So given today’slean manufacturing
climate – which dictatesthatany
processnot addingvalue to the final
productshouldbe eliminated – OEMs
needto seriously consider if
theyare getting the mostfrom
each component oftheir test
infrastructure.
GEt OpTiMal
VaLuE FrOm yOuR
InStRuMeNts!

5. Through automation, you can implement test
architecture that maximizes your instrument use.
To accomplish this, consider combining
the following:
• ModulartestinstrumentssuchasPXI
• Anindustry-standardtestexecutive
• Parallelandbatchtestroutines
• Swappable,multi-productfixturesorharnesses
• Amassinterconnectsystemforquickstation
changeovers
These elements can create a high-throughput test
station that maximizes the use of each and every
component, especially instruments, while also
reducing station and operator downtime. As well,
such automation architecture makes it easy to
perform updates, test new products, and reuse
test code.
Top 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna
MAXIMIZE
EQUIPMENT USAGE 2
AUTOMATION
CANALSOSAVE
FLOORSPACE
ANDIMPROVE
PROCESSFLOW.
FLOORSPACE

6. ELIMINATE
HUMAN ERRORS3.
People make mistakes. And even when one
person might not make mistakes when testing,
he or she might test differently than another
person, follow different procedures, or even vary
the testing depending on the time of day or day
of the week, etc.
Onethingissure–ifyouaredoingalotofmanual
testingthatdependsonahighnumberofoperator
actions,therearealmostunlimitedpossibilities
forproblems,inconsistenciesandoversights.
Andwhenoperatorsusepaper-basedinstructions,
thereareadditionaltrainingandefficiencyissues.
Top 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna
EVeN ThE
BeSt tEsTeRs,LiKe me, cAn mAkEMiStAkEs.

7. 3
Aftermorethan15yearsinthebusiness,wehave
seentheresultsofthehuman-operatorfactor
intheproductionprocess–manualtesting
andshop-floorimprovisationputproductquality
andbrandsatriskbyintroducingvarianceinto
thetestprocess.
Byautomatingasmanyprocessesandtests
aspossible,youwillincreasetherepeatability
andconsistencyofresults.Asolidlyautomated
systemcanensureoperatorsareneverrequired
totouchtheteststation,itsinstrumentsor
cabling,andcannotmodifytestsettings
orskipsteps.
ELIMINATE
HUMAN ERRORS
MINIMIZEAND
SIMPLIFYOPERATOR
INTERVENTIONS.
Top 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna
CONSISTENCY

8. IMPROVE
PRODUCT QUALITY4.Ofcoursetheultimategoalofalltestingisperfect–
andperfectlyconsistent–products.Asdesigned,
anautomatedsystemshouldensurethatthefifth,
fiftieth,andhundredthunitoffthelineareidentical,
havingbeensubjectedtoexactlythesametestsin
thesameorder.
Ifthesystemistestingtothedesigners’
specs,suchdesirableresultswilllikely
alsoleadtoexcellentproductreviews,
increasedmarketshare andbetter
bottomlines. Butputanunder-
orinconsistentlytestedproduct
onthemarketandtheeffects
couldbealmosttheopposite.
Top 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna
DOn’T RoLl tHe
DiCe WiTh
PrOdUcT
QuAlIty!

9. An automated test system can help deliver
the highest product quality by:
• Ensuringyourfinishedproductconforms
ascloselytoitsdesignspecsaspossible
• Executingthesametests,inthesame
order,oneveryunittoensureuniform
results
• Reducinghumaninteractionwithunits,
equipment,andprocesses
• Automaticallyconfiguringsalesorders,
installingthelatestfirmware,etc.
• Correlatingandstoringtestresults
forcompliance,QA,traceability
anddecision-makingpurposes
AUTOMATE
QUALITYINYOUR
PROCESSES.
4IMPROVE
PRODUCT QUALITYTop 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna

10. LOWER
RESOURCE
COSTS5.Anothersignificantgoalofanyautomationinitiative
istosavemoneyandreduceresourcerequirements.
Manualtestingistimeconsumingand,todoitright,
youneedproperlytrainedoperatorsandin-depth
documentation.
Byautomatingyourtestlogicandsteps,however,
youcansignificantlyreduceyourtrainingand
documentationcosts,amongothersavings.
Forexample,youcanincorporatebarcodescanning,
audio/visualalerts,andmulti-upfixturesso
operatorsfocusonefficientUUTloadingrather
thanmonitoringprogressandmakinginputs.
Top 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna
BUiLd mOrEDeCiSiOn-MaKiNgInTo yOuRArChItEcTuRe.

11. 5LOWER
RESOURCE COSTS
AsOEMssearchforwaystomaketheirmanufacturing
processesleaner,theyshouldalsoconsiderhow
automationcaneliminatemanyrepetitiousandeven
redundanttasksontheshopfloor.
Anynear-terminvestmentinautomationwilllead
tolong-termCapExandOpExsavingsby:
• Makingiteasiertofindand trainoperators
duetoreducednumberandcomplexity
oftasks
• Creatingapaperlessproduction
environment
• Freeingupoperatorstoperformother
taskssuchaspartassemblyandpackout
AUTOMATION
CANDELIVER
IMPRESSIVE ROI.
Top 5 Reasons to Automate Test / Averna

12. WHETHERYOU’RE
APRODUCTDESIGNER,
ENGINEEROR
TECHNICIAN,LEARN
MOREABOUTTEST
BESTPRACTICES
FROMOUREXPERTS_
WHATWORKS,
WHATDOESN’T
ANDWHAT
THETRENDSARE.
www.averna.com
C A N A D A U N I T E D S T AT E S M E X I C O E U R O P E J A P A N
JUsT Don’T TeLl oUr
“TeSt-y” cEO – hE ThInKs
We’Re cRaZy gIvInG AwAy
KnOw-HoW LiKe tHis.
THIS GUY IS SO DEDICATED TO TEST AUTOMATION THAT HE RUNS
HIS LIFE IN BATCH AND PARALLEL MODES, SPORTS A TAKT TIMEPIECE
FOR CONTINUAL PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT, AND IS NICKNAMED
“HUMAN OUTSIDE THE LOOP.” FOR FUN, HE IS CONVERTING HIS VINTAGE
BLENDERCOLLECTION INTO DANCING ROBOTS.
FOr tHiS WhItE PaPeR We cOnSuLtEd oNe
Of oUr mOsT SaVvY TeSt aUtOmAtIoN ExPeRts.
rEaD oUR oThEr eBoOkS
oN dEsIgNiNG aND
dEpLoYiNG tHe BEsT
TEsT STaTiOnS AnD MoRe!
08/2015
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