The decision to outsource engineering design is usually not easy. But once that decision has been made, how do you choose the correct partner?
Location, Location, Location
We hear too often that projects have failed, or at least not gone smoothly, because a client chose a design firm was simply too far away. Proximity often plays an important role in how responsive a partner can be to their client during all phases of a project.
Technology helps. Email and web sessions are an important tool for hammering out requirements or for status meetings. But if your design firm is not located near you, the latter stages of the design process such as integration, test, and debug can be more difficult and expensive due to travel burdens and scheduling delays. If support is needed after delivery, you need to consider how quickly someone can be at your facility to troubleshoot your problem.
Team Members Make the Difference
Your design needs may be simple or straightforward, with requirements that any integrator should be able to successfully complete. However, your partner is only as good as the team members who work there. Does the typical integrator have that “extra” knowledge to get your design through unexpected issues successfully?
You need to consider the capabilities of the individual employees who are tasked with completing your project. Consider the number of years of experience of the individuals, how long they have worked for the company, and whether they have specific credentials that may be important to your requirements.
Since many projects are not run by an individual but rather a team, you should also consider the ability of the company to provide people in varying disciplines. The team management structure and the ability of the design team to become a functional partner with your in-house team and processes are important factors to consider.
Company Qualifications Cannot Be Overlooked
You still need a company who will stand beside you and support your initiatives. Your project is important to your business. A small consultant company may not be able to provide the resources, breadth of expertise, support, or quality you need.
Design firms with application-specific expertise can call upon a deeper level of knowledge. These specialties may be in a particular industry, such as medical, automotive, or chemical or in a specific application area such as embedded control or power electronics. Proven depth of knowledge and certified credentials within a specific domain can smooth the rough spots in a project.
Strong engineering and design firms usually have time-tested design and quality processes that guide their development tasks. Third-party alliance programs can be used to determine whether a company is pre-qualified in a particular industry, application, or technology.
How Tecnova Helps
Tecnova is an engineering services and design firm offering solutions and integration – we are not just a typical integrator, and the difference is not trivial.
Our dedicated team of expert engineers can be called upon at any point in your process to work through the most basic to the toughest design problem from multiple engineering discipline perspectives. We become an integral part of your in-house team and can take on any portion of your engineering tasks, provide turnkey solutions, and bring your latest ideas to market.
Our product development group specializes in motor drives, industrial controls, wireless technologies, desktop software, and mobile apps. We are valued members of the Texas Instruments Design Network, Microchip Authorized Design Partner Program, Apple® iOS Developer Program, and National Instruments Electronic Design Specialty.
If your needs center around test, measurement, or control, our test solutions group members hold Certified LabVIEW Developer, Certified LabVIEW Architect, and Certified TestStand Developer credentials. Two of our members are National Instruments Certified Professional Instructors who regularly teach LabVIEW courses. And, we are a proud National Instruments Silver Alliance Partner and hold National Instruments Embedded Control credentials.
We work with clients throughout the United States, but our main focus is northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and northwestern Indiana. If you are within a 4 to 5 hour drive of our headquarters or branch office, Tecnova can be responsive to onsite needs if and when they arise.
