When it comes to the actual production or manufacturing of your product, chances are you know just how important timing and quality are. Unfortunately, many projects run into issues due to oversights during the early stages of product development, and companies can become frustrated with delays and new costs.
These issues can often be avoided with the proper planning. If you are looking to improve your product manufacturing and get quality products out the door on schedule, take a look at these 5 tips.
1) Prepare a Detailed Project Brief Right Away
As soon as you are made aware of a new project, you (and your team, if necessary) should begin preparing a detailed brief that clearly lays out the specifications of your project. Things like budget, schedule, engineering / design, and procurement, are all important to have written down before you rush into any kind of development or production.
Not only will recording this information benefit the product team by keeping them focuses and aligned, but it will also be valuable when you approach your contract manufacturer. It ensures that both you and the CM you work with are on the same page in terms of project scope and timeline, as well as allows your manufacturing partner to fully understand your goals right from the start. This enables them to make strategic decisions right out of the gate.
2) Work With An Integrated Manufacturing & Engineering Firm
By bringing all tasks under a single integrated supplier, you can streamline your entire project. And, if you work with the right partner, project accuracy will be optimized throughout if they have their team working on each of the individual stages. Design, documentation, development, and product testing are all things that qualified suppliers should be able to handle, and it can ease the transition from design to production.
Working with a fully integrated partner supplier puts top-level builds and value added solutions within easy reach, so you are only dealing with one account manager who knows your project inside and out and is invested in it from start to finish.
3) Make Quality an Imperative
While you understand that the pressure is on to produce quickly, it is important to recognize that if you are too flexible on quality for the sake of time, your project may hit delays along the way. If it is determined that a project cannot be completed on time without compromising quality, your contract manufacturer should make you aware of that risk, and be able to suggest proactive solutions.
And with the pressure to get products into production and out the door quickly, it may be feel easy to shy away from quality in favor of a cheaper deal upfront.However, the costs can be even greater as a result of the inefficiency, loss of time, and damage to your reputation when an inferior product or service is selected.
4) Rely On Your CM Partner to Provide Proactive Solutions
One of the best things about partneting with an expert manufacturing partner is that their team of experienced engineers and manufacturers should be able identify potential problems before they occur. Your manufacturing partner should be knowledgeable and up to date with good manufacturing practices and regulatory requirements.
If a key element of your design does not meet good design and manufacturing recommendations (e.g., IPC) or relevant regulatory requirements (e.g., U.L. or CE), your partner should have the in-house expertise to identify the problem and propose recommended solutions.
5) Develop a Strategic Partnership
By sharing realistic goals and forecasts and having an open line of communication with your manufacturing partner, you will experience the best results for your projects. This can, and often will, lead to a continued strategic relationship with the CM you work with, which can yield great results for project after project.
To learn more about these tips and discover 5 more, download our free resource below.
