As a test design engineer (now happily retired)I have a different understanding of the purpose of specs.
Performance of the equipment, we all agree, is determined by its design. A prototype is built and its performance is good. Now we want to put it into production. How can we be sure that each unit that comes off the line is as good as the prototype? We certainly cannot do, on each production unit, the exhaustive performance evaluation that was done on the prototype.
The designer identifies the parameters that he believes are critical to his design, and limits (maximum values) are defined for these parameters. Now, when production units are to be evaluated it is straightforward to measure these parameters. It can even be automated.
So, specs are important...they assure that the unit you buy performs like the one that the designer evaluated (and liked well enough to put into production).
Performance of the equipment, we all agree, is determined by its design. A prototype is built and its performance is good. Now we want to put it into production. How can we be sure that each unit that comes off the line is as good as the prototype? We certainly cannot do, on each production unit, the exhaustive performance evaluation that was done on the prototype.
The designer identifies the parameters that he believes are critical to his design, and limits (maximum values) are defined for these parameters. Now, when production units are to be evaluated it is straightforward to measure these parameters. It can even be automated.
So, specs are important...they assure that the unit you buy performs like the one that the designer evaluated (and liked well enough to put into production).