There are many examples out there of companies that got in big trouble because of their suppliers in China. In many cases, a supplier got very tempted to start selling the same product on their customer’s market. As a result, people who are designing and developing a new product are often reluctant to plan for manufacturing in China, even when the difference in cost will obviously be massive. … [Read more...]
Is It Beneficial To Be First To Market With Your New Product Idea? [Podcast]
![Is It Beneficial To Get To Market First With Your New Product Idea? [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IsItBeneficialToGetToMarketFirstWithYourNewProductIdeaPodcast-1140x445.jpeg)
In this episode... A recent China Law Blog article questions the wisdom of rushing out your innovative new made-in-China product in order to 'beat the copycats' to market. While there are some situations where this may have some merit, sacrificing IP protection for speed seldom makes sense as you'll find out in this episode. What are the benefits and are they outweighed by the risks? What should you do to protect IP? When is the 'right time' to go public with your exciting new product and … [Read more...]
Navigating The Product Design and NPI Maze For New Products [Podcast]
![Navigating The Product Design and NPI Maze For New Products [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NavigatingTheProductDesignandNPIMazeForNewProductsPodcast-1140x445.jpeg)
In this episode… You've got an idea for a unique new product! Amazing! Now you need to develop that product concept, design it, test and validate it, and much more before finally going into mass production and bringing it to market. You may think that this is a linear process, but in fact, it's more like a complex maze and you may take many twists and turns. Renaud Anjoran is joined by experienced British product designer Andy Bartlett to explore this NPI process and the best practices … [Read more...]
Developing a New Product? Think of Information Security Management.
More and more prototyping companies who routinely work for large companies have gotten certified to ISO 27001:2013 (*). If you have been scratching your head about what this standard about information security management entails and what it means for you, let me try and help clarify this topic. Here are three aspects that you probably want to check: … [Read more...]
Getting To Grips With Non-Recurring Engineering Costs (NRE) [Podcast]
![Getting To Grips With Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) Costs [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettingToGripsWithNon-RecurringEngineeringNRECostsPodcast-1140x445.jpeg)
In this episode of the podcast, we discuss Non-Recurring Engineering costs for manufacturers. As the name suggests, these costs are usually one-off and are what it takes to get your product into production. These costs are perhaps better known as R&D costs, and it's important to get to grips with them as they have a great impact on your product's sale price, as well as the feasibility of manufacturing it in the first place. It's fair to say that the NRE costs often turn out to be more … [Read more...]
Prototesting: Reap All the Value of Proof of Concept Prototypes
Many of our clients design their own products. And we typically don't get involved in the initial concept/ideation phase. That's clearly not our competence, nor our offer. However, we are often invited to ask questions about their new product idea, to test if their concept is manufacturable, to confirm it won't be extremely hard to develop, etc. And we see the same patterns, over and over. Many people don't talk a lot to potential users/customers when planning for the features. They don't … [Read more...]
What Is Compliance Testing? [Podcast]
Why is compliance testing so important for buyers who import products from China? Compliance testing helps assure your product's compliance with your market's product and safety standards. By conducting such testing, you'll be testing whether the product is safe for consumers under normal use, doesn't contain hazardous substances above acceptable levels, and won't be restricted from being imported. Because importers are usually held responsible for any safety problems caused by … [Read more...]
The Conundrum of Investing in Tooling Before a Final Prototype
In most new product development projects for electro-mechanical products, there comes a time when the company (and its investors) need to make a leap of faith when it comes to investing in tooling. They often need a lot of advice and discuss it with us. Let's discuss the conundrum buyers face of doing so before a final prototype is made. … [Read more...]
From New Product Design to Production: What Is on the Customer’s Plate?
Many people contact us with an idea for a new product they want to develop... and nothing else. We usually explain that they are not ready for talking to China-based manufacturers until they have done more 'homework'. Over the weekend, I listened to an episode of the Predictable Design Podcast (The Importance of Defining Project Milestones), which covered the main steps every new company that wants to manufacture a new physical product has to go through. It is a great listen. It inspired … [Read more...]
What Is the APQP? (Advanced Product Quality Planning Process)
The APQP, or Advanced Product Quality Planning, is a proven approach for developing a new product to be made in high volume and under strict quality, timing, and cost requirements. It was developed in the automotive industry (virtually all tier-1 suppliers of car parts have to implement this approach.) It has also been adopted in other settings with similarly comprehensive requirements, with great success (companies who don't require such a detailed plan may choose one that more closely … [Read more...]