Staying focused on quality requires devicemakers to balance corporate concerns with daily line operations, says one expert.

"If you don't keep the right balance, people can become fatigued by quality issues," cautions Jonathan Tanz, head of research and consulting with the North Carolina firm Best Practices.

"Right now, there's a dazzling array of quality management tools available, but it creates a fair amount of confusion over which tools to use," he told D&DL.

Tools that sequester quality functions to upper management can disconnect auditors from concerns on the production floor. On the other hand, tools that place quality functions strictly in the hands of line employees lead employees to focus on minutiae.

Tanz's advice: Don't stick with one tool. ()a href="http://www.fdanews.com/ddl/33_19/" target=_blank>