The GD&T Challenge

If you aren't sure whether Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing will help your company improve their performance, Technical Documentation Consultants of Arizona (TDC) invites you to complete the following survey. If some of the questions are out of your area of expertise, answer as best you can. Be honest! After you answer the following questions, click the Submit Answers link at the bottom of the page to get your score.

Are you ready to take the quiz?

Answer the following questions and click submit below

Frequently Sometimes Rarely
1) Do you have parts that pass inspection but do not fit with other parts and assemblies?
2) Does it feel like everyone is scrambling to keep parts supplied to the assembly line?
3) Are you frequently waiting on inspection to inspect parts?
4) Do your design, manufacturing, and inspection groups squabble over drawings or models?
5) Are you frequently sending people out to your vendors because they can't get the parts right?
6) Do you have an excessive amount of drawing changes and revisions?
7) Do you spend an unreasonable amount of time dealing with discrepant hardware?
8) Do you get nervous when you assemble a new product for the first time?
9) Do various groups within the production team keep their distance from each other?
10) Do you have parts that fail inspection, but fit and function properly when assembled?
11) Do you pick and choose among parts to get them to fit?
12) Do you spend a significant amount of time reworking or repairing parts?
13) Do various groups engage in the 'blame game' when things don't go well?
14) Do you have disagreements with vendors over whether parts are made correctly or not?
15) Do you have unhappy customers because replacement parts and assemblies do not fit?
16) Do you ever use discrepant hardware because you have no other choice?
17) Do you feel like a vendor is taking advantage of you and charging more than is fair?
18) Are your production team members intimidated when they see GD&T symbols on drawings?
19) Are your inspectors unsure of how to inspect a part based on drawing requirements?
20) Do your machinists and manufacturing people frequently call the design engineer with questions about a drawing or model?
Frequently Sometimes Rarely
Score:Analysis:
0-2 Congratulations! You are successfully applying the principles of GD&T. Your production team is communicating amongst themselves using GD&T and there is little ambiguity over drawing requirements. Parts are designed, fabricated, inspected, and assembled with little or no difficulty. New employees to your company should undergo GD&T training as soon as possible to maintain your edge.
3-5 Good! You are doing a fairly good job communicating design intent, but there are some problems. Some members of the production team, including vendors, are not interpreting design intent from the drawing in the same way. Everyone associated with the production effort needs training in the use of GD&T.
6-8 Ouch! Your organization is probably making parts in spite of themselves. Parts are routinely reworked, repaired, used-as-is, or scrapped. Cost overruns and late deliveries seem common. Competitors are right at your heels. There may be factions and infighting among your production team. An aggressive training effort is needed to train all members of your team in the use of GD&T.
9-20 Help! Your company is in trouble! The phrase, "But we've always done it that way, why change?", is alive and well. Your company is drowning in the traditional methods for designing, fabricating, and assembling parts. Competitors can make products faster, better, and cheaper. Solution: Implement a GD&T training regimen for all members of your production team, NOW!

It may seem that some of the questions in the survey may be unrelated to the application of GD&T; actually, the questions address the very core of GD&T. GD&T is the glue that binds the design, manufacturing, inspection and assembly processes together. GD&T provides a method for all team members to communicate and understand design intent. GD&T training brings team members together; and each team member develops a real appreciation for the expertise required for team members in other functional areas. GD&T is a powerful tool in your arsenal to make products faster, better, and cheaper!