If you’re just tuning in, we’re talking about why the “no fault found” phenomenon is occurring with alarming frequency in the consumer electronics industry.  We’re up to reason #2…….

Failure of the Industry to Implement Standards to Detect and Diagnose Problems. 

The computing technology industry has a tremendous need for standards that can be used to detect and diagnose problems with computer equipment.  Ironically, no standards have been implemented on a global basis.  (At least, not yet…..)

For example: let’s say a Lexmark printer and a Brother printer are brought back to the store that sold them.  Both printers are being returned because, according to the people that bought them, neither is working correctly.  In this example (which mirrors real life), the printers work fine, and they were returned for reasons that had nothing to do with whether or not the printers were operational.  (I know a guy who returned a printer because his wife didn’t like the printer’s color.  I’m not talking about the ink—I’m talking about the cabinet in which the printer was housed.  Really—that's a sad but true story.)

You would think that the store could run a standard, universal diagnostic test on both printers to determine whether the printers are really broken.  Incredibly, no such test exists.

What happens next?  Well, since the store can’t possible maintain diagnostic equipment for every type of printer on the market, the store sends the printers back to their manufacturers—and the NFF phenomenon continues.

So, is there a solution?  Of course.  (Would I be writing about this if I didn’t have a solution??)  The answer is that the industry must band together and agree upon standard diagnostic error codes and messages, which will allow resellers to diagnose problems on a universal, cross-platform basis at the point of sale. 

Have I come up with a list of standard error codes and messages?  

Absolutely.  Not. 

(Hey, I’m just an attorney who understands this stuff—I leave the technical “heavy lifting” to those who know how to do such things.) 

But alas, an industry group has come up with a list of standard error codes and messages to address this problem.  So who are they, and why am I using the word “alas”? 

The group is CompTia—an industry consortium which, time and time again, demonstrates an uncanny ability to provide cutting-edge solutions to some of the most vexing problems facing the information technology industry. 

<<We interrupt this blog to bring you this special announcement: If your company isn’t a member of CompTia, then it needs to join CompTia immediately.   Stop reading this blog, join CompTia, and then come back to this spot.   We now return to our regularly scheduled blog, which is already in progress.>>

Check out CompTia’s efforts to make standard error codes and messages a reality.  Although standard codes might not solve the NFF phenomenon, it will go a long way to help us find a cure…..

Alright, two reasons down, three more to go.  In my next post, I’ll talk about how the industry has failed to provide resellers with proper tools to detect and diagnose component failures.