The ups and downs of compliance

Richard A. Quinnell, Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 9/1/2005

Most engineering work is cyclical. There is a period of intense activity followed by lulls, followed by another intense period.

For compliance test engineers, a surge of new responsibilities comes each time there is a change in the regulatory environment. In addition to your routine tasks, you must interpret the new requirements, establish new test procedures, and perhaps create new company test capabilities. Then, you must implement and refine all these changes in time for the company to become certified or to establish its ability to achieve compliance and meet the regulatory implementation schedule.

As a professional, you are expected to shoulder these occasional increases in work demand. The biggest problem is: They are hard to plan for. Experienced design engineers have learned which design stages will require midnight oil, and they plan accordingly. With regulatory changes, it is a little harder to plan. No one knows when the bureaucratic powers-that-be will require changes, although with careful watching, an intelligent guess can be made.

Here at Test & Measurement World, we will continue to help, by keeping an eye on the regulatory processes and letting you know when change is imminent. If you hear of something in the wind, drop us a line so we can look into it. You can't avoid the work surges, but you can plan for them. We can help.

Contact Richard A. Quinnell at richquinnell@att.net.