QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

Navigating The Product Design and NPI Maze For New Products [Podcast]

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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...]

Why New Product Development of Electronics Takes So Long

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Over the years, we have been talking to people who are planning to or are in the process of, developing a new product. And there is a very serious mismatch between expectations and reality during the new product development process. So serious that people who are just starting on that path often cannot accept a realistic plan. Unrealistic expectations In their minds, there are only a few steps and a few success milestones. It looks a bit like this:   Harsh reality However, … [Read more...]

Exploring The Benefits Of Rapid Prototyping And Rapid Tooling [Podcast]

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In This Episode... Renaud and Adrian talk about rapid prototyping and rapid tooling methods to make prototypes a lot faster than production tooling, with a focus on electromechanical products and plastic injection molding. You'll get answers to the following questions: What are rapid prototyping and rapid tooling? What do we discover from different rounds of prototyping? What are the features of hard tooling? What are the pros and cons of the different technologies used for rapid … [Read more...]

Dangers of Amortizing Development Costs in the Production Price

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When I offered a model for guiding buyers to choose an ODM vs. OEM vs. CM supplier, I mentioned that OEM suppliers often "subsidize" the cost of developing the new product. Then, the buyer ends up paying the cost of development, but it is "amortized" in the unit cost of the product. I'd like to explain why, in the context of when manufacturing a new product, that can be dangerous for the buyer. … [Read more...]

From New Product Design to Production: What Is on the Customer’s Plate?

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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...]

New Product Concept Brief: 5 Things Your Industrial Designer Needs To Know

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If you have a new product concept that you want to manufacture in China in mind, don't go straight to talk to a manufacturer (your concept is still too immature). Instead, you need to start working on 2 axes at the same time: Market demand confirmation - will a sufficient number of people want to buy your product? Industrial design - what will it look like? (I am assuming you are designing an electro-mechanical product.) To illustrate your product concept effectively, you'll be … [Read more...]

Documenting Your New Product Development Process (for Quality & Speed)

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A large part of the new product development process is the series of approvals to get through. It helps prevent quality issues in mass production and it helps reduce miscommunication... both of which are the biggest causes of a slower time to market. If your company develops and manufactures new products regularly, do you have a documented process? These 3 examples from the apparel, auto, and electronics industries can help you understand how the approvals work. … [Read more...]