# S2E34 How Process Engineering Will Make You An Invaluable Engineer | Zach O’Ferrell

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2021-08-06
- Length: 48m
- Episode: 34
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/process-engineering-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell/

## Summary

Zach O’Ferrell, Director of Product and Process Engineering at Edwards Lifesciences, explains how process engineering bridges the gap between product design and manufacturing. He details critical methodologies including DMAIC, Six Sigma, and Lean, as well as the rigorous IQ/OQ/PQ equipment qualification process required in medical device manufacturing. O’Ferrell shares lessons learned from transferring production lines and managing engineering teams, emphasizing a blame-free culture focused on root cause analysis.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell#t=0) Introduction and Process Engineering Overview
- [4:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell#t=256) DMAIC and Problem Solving Methodologies
- [7:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell#t=466) IQ/OQ/PQ Equipment Qualification
- [11:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell#t=685) Design Verification and Validation
- [17:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell#t=1022) Six Sigma vs. Lean: Variation and Waste
- [21:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell#t=1268) Lessons from Manufacturing Transfers
- [26:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell#t=1602) Managing Engineering Teams and Hiring
- [34:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell#t=2059) Advice for Startups and Career Growth

## Topics

- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Edwards Lifesciences (company)
- FDA (other)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- teampipeline.us (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How Design-First Thinking Supercharges Manufacturing Performance with Clarity Design Founder Tom Lupfer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2026-03-11-how-design-first-thinking-supercharges-manufacturing-performance-with-clarity-de) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [004 - “Until They Know How Much You Care” with Andy Robertson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-27-004-until-they-know-how-much-you-care-with-andy-robertson) (Let's Combinate)
- [Learning about the Real-world Impact of Design, Manufacturing, Quality & Culture on Patients](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-03-24-learning-about-the-real-world-impact-of-design-manufacturing-quality-culture-on) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [053 - "Duct Tape and Bubble Gum" with Chris Tsai](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2022-10-05-053-duct-tape-and-bubble-gum-with-chris-tsai) (Let's Combinate)
- [064 - Pharma and Medical Device Development Processes, DFSS and Design Reviews with Skip Creveling](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2022-12-21-064-pharma-and-medical-device-development-processes-dfss-and-design-reviews-with) (Let's Combinate)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-06-s2e34-how-process-engineering-will-make-you-an-invaluable-engineer-zach-oferrell. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Being an Engineer.