Part 2: Dealing with complexities of worldwide regulatory compliance; beginning with EMC

There are many processes associated with product regulatory compliance that either are not documented or not adhered to by companies. This lack of clear process and responsibility represents added complexity from product development all the way through product manufacturing. The field of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is one of the most difficult of all required regulatory approvals due to the number of standards, number of test methods involved and number of processes needed to initially obtain and sustain compliance. This paper provides insight to establishing authority in handling and enforcing product compliance, examines the risk to companies of product non-compliance, gives an example on how to evaluate methods of bringing a product into compliance, discusses the need for regulatory compliance training for signal integrity and EMC engineers, and offers different approaches to managing the regulatory compliance of original equipment manufacturer products. Recommendations are made on how to implement a quality management system that will greatly reduce these complexities and provide for a clear structure for documenting EMC processes.