Closing the Loop

Abstract

A concept or invention which goes through the various phases of design, manufacture, sale to and use by a customer should not end there. ‘Closing the loop’ means feedback at every stage and is a vital ingredient for the success and continued improvement of a product or system, be it large or small. The need for ‘closing the loop’ does not only apply to hardware but applies equally to the education and training of engineers. Equally important also is the need to inject into an engineering operation or an educational system the experience gained by a senior engineer in the course of his career. The President deals with some interesting examples of closing or failing to close the loop in a number of varied subjects from the simple to the complex.