Oct 01, 2012 Groundbreaking Online Program for Design for Environment (DfE) Promotes Cost Efficient, Regulatory-Compliant Product Design
The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) and electronics and technology consultants Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI), PlesTech, Ltd. and Harvey Stone announce the launch of DfE OnlineTM, a breakthrough training and certification program in Design for Environment (DfE). The self-paced program places hundreds of case studies, cost-saving tips, energy-efficiency methodologies, supply-chain strategies and much more at the fingertips of electronics industry executives, managers and engineers.
The program is already receiving accolades. Julie Silk, Environmental Compliance Technical Program Manager at Agilent Technologies, Inc., says "DfE OnlineTM is a comprehensive program valuable to individuals, managers and teams. It contains a breadth of concepts, tools and resources that help your engineers design to meet environmental regulations and incorporate design-for-environment principles into your products."
DfE OnlineTM co-developer Pamela J. Gordon, Founder and President of TFI, says “After leading DfE trainings for almost a decade and training over 1,000 engineers at Microsoft, HP, Flextronics and many other US, Chinese and EMEA firms, we built this program to reduce both corporate training costs and engineers’ time away from work.” She adds, “Given RoHS, REACH, WEEE, Packaging and the overall rise in compliance issues internationally, we think DfE is a critical business strategy for companies and an important career investment for busy managers and engineers."
Like "Quality", Design for Environment (DfE) is a proven design approach. It increases product reliability while lowering the cost of goods sold. Additionally, it reduces harmful environmental impacts and provides relief from environmental regulations. Says Graham Adams, PlesTech President and former design engineer at Motorola, "Until today, engineers had to search for DfE methodologies and tools in a piecemeal, time-consuming way. But, with DfEOnline™, they have a centralized source of technical and business information about substance impacts, material reduction methods, energy efficiency techniques, end-of-life product strategies and tools for precisely measuring environmental trade-offs and monetary ROI. Furthermore, DfE Online™ can be easily customized to reflect a company’s industry, products and staff training strategy."
"What makes DfE OnlineTM so useful" says Harvey Stone, a former environmental consultant for Cray Computers, Bausch and Lomb and other companies, "is the depth and breadth of the DfE material. Our early adopters are saving time because the material is so comprehensive and user-friendly. Plus, the detailed slide presentations are supplemented by interactive technical exercises, background videos, and a professional forum where DfEOnline™ users hash out technical issues with their colleagues in other companies."
In addition to direct corporate sales, several leading electronics industry associations have reviewed the program and are offering it to their members. To learn more about DfE OnlineTM and its licensing options, visit http://www.techforecasters.com/dfe-online or call +1-510-479-3478. You can order directly from the SMTA BookStore online at http://www.smta.org/store/book_detail.cfm?book_id=398.
Graham Adams, President and Founder of PlesTech Ltd. and the creator of EcoFly eco-design software, leverages 45 years in engineering, research, quality systems, management, and eco-design. Pamela J. Gordon, President and Founder of Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI), has been providing research and consulting to the electronics and technology industries since 1987. She is a pioneer in DfE whose groundbreaking book, Lean and Green: Profit for your Workplace and the Environment was published in 2001 Harvey Stone, environmental consultant, entrepreneur and writer, has specialized in helping corporations and agencies to adopt sustainable practices, including DfE, that address social, economic and environmental issues while reducing costs, and is the author of Melting Down , an environmental thriller novel.
The SMTA membership is an international network of professionals who build skills, share practical experience and develop solutions in electronic assembly technologies, including microsystems, emerging technologies, and related business operations.
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