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Prototesting: Reap All the Value of Proof of Concept Prototypes

December 22, 2020

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...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: developing new products, improving product design, new product development, npd, prototypes, testing new products

Why The Bill Of Materials (BOM) Is A Key Document For Importers [Podcast]

December 3, 2020

Why The Bill Of Materials (BOM) Is A Key Document For Importers [Podcast]

The Bill Of Materials - more important than you may think! The Bill Of Materials is an incredibly important document which spans the product development process and evolves as you get closer to mass production. It provides all of the product's key information, from both the supply chain side and also design and technical side, too. Think of it as a kind of list of components, suppliers, costs, quality and compliance test results, designs (showing the relationship between components and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: bill of materials, BoM, new product development, podcast, quality management, Sourcing, sourcing components, supplier management

Is Your New Product Design Ready for Manufacturing in China? [5 Questions]

November 21, 2020

Is Your New Product Design Ready for Manufacturing in China?

There is a misconception in many people's minds. They think there are many manufacturers in China & Vietnam capable of, and willing to, do a lot of the development work for a new product they think is promising. That is true if you have millions of Facebook followers, you run a popular TV program, or Apple's CEO declares they will distribute your product in his stores. In most cases, it is much harder, though.   5 product design questions you need to answer to be seen as a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: mature product designs, new product development, npd, product design, product development

Dangers of Amortizing Development Costs in the Production Price

October 9, 2020

Dangers of Amortizing Development Costs in the Production Price

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...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: new product development, new product development costs, new product development process, new product launch, NPI

Analyzing the (NPI) New Product Introduction Process & its Benefits [Podcast]

October 1, 2020

Analysing the (NPI) New Product Introduction Process & its Benefits [Podcast]

What is the new product introduction process? The new product introduction process is: A complete blueprint that takes an idea through various structured phases and that results in a finished product being launched into the marketplace. This process is driven and managed by a cross-functional team that keeps a check on every aspect of the project. The different phases are controlled by approval gates which ensure the project has met specific criteria before moving onto the next phase in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: new product development, new product introduction, new product introduction process, NPI, NPI process, podcast, production risk

Why Packaging Is Important For Both Protection & Product Differentiation

September 14, 2020

Great Packaging Achieves both Protection and Product Differentiation

  We have worked with many companies that develop their own new product for manufacturing in China or Vietnam. They have spent months (or longer) on product design & development. But they completely overlooked why packaging is important, and merely plan to get to it at the last moment. Oh, but wait... they still want custom printing. That often means a 3 weeks lead time, AFTER a packaging material & type has been confirmed, AFTER the printing supplier has been qualified (a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: new product development, new product manufacturing, packaging, product differentiation, product protection, types of packaging, uses of packaging

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

September 9, 2020

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...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: developing new products, new product development, new product development process, new product launch, new product manufacturing, npd

Service Providers: Escape the Commoditization Trap

July 30, 2020

Service Providers: Escape the Commoditization Trap

We compete with a number of other service providers, and over the years I have seen stark changes happen in some verticals. An interesting case study is the TIC (Testing, Inspection, Certification) industry. In 2005, importers were paying 500+ USD per man-day for QC inspections on consumer goods. Over the years, salaries and other costs went up, but the market price tended to go down. (I wrote before why some buyers always want a lower price.) What are the reasons? It is a combination of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Quality Control Tips Tagged With: factory audits, new product development, product inspections, project management

What Is the APQP? (Advanced Product Quality Planning Process)

July 21, 2020

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...]

Filed Under: Process Improvement Tagged With: Advanced Product Quality Planning, apqp, developing new products, new product development, ppap, product development

New Product Development: 12 Tradeoffs Every Hardware Startup Faces

June 29, 2020

New Product Development: 12 Tradeoffs Every Hardware Startup Faces

After working with companies that develop their own products for manufacturing here in China, I started to notice a lot of similarities. Every project is different, its challenges are sometimes unique, but the main decision points tend to be the same. (My main focus here is new companies that develop electrical and/or mechanical products based on their own design.) Here are 12 questions you will likely ask yourself. And the pros and cons of each. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: crowdfunding, IP protection, new product development, product concept, product engineering, validating market demand

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Weekly updates for professional importers on better understanding, controlling, and improving manufacturing & supply chain in China.

This is the official blog of Sofeast.com.

This blog is written by Renaud Anjoran, an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer who has been involved in chinese manufacturing since 2005.

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