A global automotive component manufacturer was facing a significant challenge in maintaining high First Pass Yield (FPY) rates in their production lines. Despite having real-time monitoring displays and an in-house analytical tool, the company was struggling with functional test failures that led to FPY rates dropping below 90%. The company spent approximately six months trying to identify the root cause of the issue, which turned out to be a faulty fixture in the functional test systems. This lengthy process involved extensive manual data aggregation and transformation, and required the production line to be shut down for troubleshooting. Even after identifying the issue, the company had to perform monthly maintenance on all fixtures in the functional tester lines to mitigate the FPY loss.

The case study revolves around an optical communication technology manufacturer that was facing challenges in managing its product development, testing, budget, and schedule. The company's primary objective was to be the first to market with a unique, quality product. However, the acquisition of test instruments and software for product verification to support market demand was having a significant budgetary impact. As the company's business grew and product demands increased, the budget, testing, and schedule strategy had to evolve to meet customer needs. The company was under pressure to quickly provide an increased number of products, which outgrew the previous means for increased production. The main challenges were access to equipment for multiple test systems to increase production and the need to rescale production test without tying up significant CapEx.