When manufacturers come to EWI with a complex quality assurance (QA) or quality control (QC) challenge, they’re often expecting a high-tech, highly complex fix. But as an EWI Senior Engineer with process automation experience, J. Logan McNeil likes to remind customers that innovation doesn’t always mean “more complicated.” Sometimes, the best path forward is to keep it simple.
“I’m a big proponent of the KISS method — keep it simple, stupid,” Logan explained in a recent episode of the EWI Technology Podcast. “In most cases, especially in automation, complexity comes with cost. If 90% of defects can be caught with one type of sensor, you don’t need three.”
That mindset — focusing on the essentials, eliminating unnecessary complexity, and working side-by-side with customers to tailor the right solution — is what sets EWI apart as a partner in advanced manufacturing innovation.
The Simplicity Principle in Advanced QA/QC
Manufacturers often wrestle with variables that, while seemingly minor, can have outsized impacts on quality.
Logan gives a practical example: “You try to run the same voltage and current on one machine with leads twice as long as another, and then you wonder why your process is different. A lot of times, the answer is simple.”
Rather than over-engineering solutions, Logan emphasizes an 80/20 approach: identify the small number of factors that drive most outcomes. By focusing on critical inputs, such as weld quality, power supply setup consistency, and standardized sensor calibration, manufacturers can achieve meaningful improvements without overwhelming costs or complexity.
It’s a pragmatic view of QA/QC processes where the temptation can be to add layers of sensors, monitoring systems, and data streams. While advanced analytics and machine learning have their place, EWI’s philosophy is to apply them strategically, not indiscriminately.
Customers Hold the Key
A crucial part of EWI’s approach is recognizing that customers know their products better than anyone else.
“The customer knows their end product better than I ever will,” Logan says. “And we want it to be that way. When customers come to us, they’re looking for outside knowledge, things they don’t already know. That’s where collaboration becomes so powerful.”
By working directly with engineers, operators, and decision-makers on the customer side, EWI can translate in-house knowledge into measurable data. What an experienced welder might describe intuitively (“you’ll just know if the weld is good”) can be transformed into bits, bytes, zeros, and ones — the language of sensors and automation.
This kind of partnership brings deep expertise to build on the customer’s expertise. The result is a system that feels natural to operate, reflects the realities of production, and produces reliable results.
Collaboration as the Engine of Innovation
EWI brings a wide bench of subject matter experts (SMEs) in welding, materials, automation, sensing, and data science. But Logan finds that the most effective innovations emerge from what he calls “cross-pollination” — EWI’s experience across a range of industries, combined with the customer’s product knowledge.
“I learn a lot about your product, I learn a lot about your systems,” Logan explains. “But I’ve also seen similar problems solved in other industries. So, the question becomes: how can that solution fit into your process?”
This collaborative model yields solutions that are both innovative and practical: innovative, because EWI can draw on lessons learned across aerospace, automotive, energy, and medical device sectors; and practical, because solutions are designed to fit seamlessly into the customer’s unique manufacturing environment.
It’s in this middle ground, where shared learning meets practical application, that the most exciting advancements in QA/QC occur.
Standards, Requirements, and the “Right Fit”
Another part of the equation is aligning with standards and requirements. Not every application demands 100% inspection or the most rigorous controls. Sometimes, the standard itself defines what’s required and what’s “good enough.”
“Are you required to do it, or does it actually matter for you?” Logan asks. This question shifts the focus from technology for its own sake to technology that truly serves the customer’s objectives.
By right-sizing QA/QC systems to fit both regulatory demands and business priorities, EWI helps manufacturers to avoid over-investing in complexity that doesn’t add value.
Building the Future of QA/QC Together
Advanced manufacturing is evolving rapidly, with automation, AI, and machine learning providing new approaches to monitoring quality. Yet, as Logan’s perspective highlights, the real breakthrough happens when EWI and its customers innovate together.
The key takeaways for process engineers and QA/QC teams are:
- Keep it simple. Focus on the core factors that matter most.
- Listen to the customer. Their expertise is the foundation of every solution.
- Collaborate deeply. Combine customer knowledge with EWI’s cross-industry insight.
- Right-size solutions. Let standards and business needs define the appropriate level of complexity.
At EWI, innovation in QA/QC is about solving real-world problems in the most effective, efficient way possible — not chasing complexity for its own sake. And that’s only achievable when customers and EWI engineers work side by side, learning from each other and designing solutions together.
As Logan puts it: “That’s generally where the best innovation happens.”
The solution to a QA/QC challenge in your manufacturing operations may not be as complicated or as costly as you think. With EWI as your partner, you can strip away complexity, leverage cross-industry expertise, and co-create solutions that make sense for your products, your processes, and your people.
If you’re a decision-maker looking to improve quality, reduce costs, and accelerate innovation, reach out to EWI at [email protected], and let’s start building the right solution for your business.