Best Lessons Learned Method

Abstract

Capturing lessons learned can be a monumental waste of time—or it can be transformative. Join Fred and Mojan as they explore what separates the two through a cautionary tale: when three engineering teams independently removed electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection from a product to save costs, it nearly bankrupted the division. Discover how one simple system turned hard-won wisdom into institutional memory and prevented the same disaster from happening twice.

Key Points

Join Fred and Mojan as they explore the often-overlooked challenge of making lessons learned actually stick in an organization:

Topics include:

Why some organizations’ lessons-learned systems do not necessarily add value—and why others actually prevent repeated failures
FRACAS as the foundation: understanding how failures occurred, what prevents them, and how to follow up systematically
But FRACAS alone isn’t enough: the real power comes from making lessons memorable and actionable across teams
The $700K ESD protection disaster: how three teams working independently removed the same protection, unaware of each other’s decisions or the lessons that should have prevented it
An elegant and simple system: condensing critical lessons into a one-page list of 10 items (each 3–5 words), with stories that stick in engineers’ heads
Implementation through engagement: walking in early, telling the stories, inserting yourself into key decision points, and creating accountability at design review
The power of veto: using institutional authority not to shut teams down, but to ensure they’ve thought through the hard lessons
Quantifying the value: showing how better lessons-learned discipline translates directly to profit and demonstrating why the role is indispensable

Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches.