To specify realistic tolerances and ensure acceptable
product yields, a product development team must take into
account the current process capability of the factory.
Using historical process capability data in product development
is frequently discussed in academic and industry literature.
However, while many organizations have databases, the use
of historical data in design is limited. This paper addresses
the technical challenges of implementing a producibility
analysis tool. First, a description of how data is currently
collected and recorded is given. Second, the infeasibility
of a “just-press-a-button” system for checking
producibility is described. Finally, a new paradigm for
data access is proposed, implemented in software, and tested
on data used by industry.