An old saying tells us that “well begun is half done.” Quality assurance pioneer Philip B. Crosby taught that getting it right the first time is the key to efficiency and manufacturing quality.

Electronics design and manufacturing have become intricate processes in today’s business world. They entail ever-evolving design challenges, dealing with facilities an ocean away, and coping with supply chain uncertainties. Many OEMs now look to business partners to help them get new products from concept to market.

In deciding whether your company needs a trusted partner to augment your team’s skill sets in product design, manufacturing, or supply chain management, you should assess your firm’s in-house capabilities.

What Are Your Company’s Strengths and Weaknesses?

What are your company’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to bringing this product concept to market? Do you have the right resources in-house, and can you free them up? Does your business have the capacity to undertake a new product launch without distracting from other priorities?  Are your products’ electronics part of your core competency, or is your team’s speciality in other areas (e.g. mechanical design, software)?

In most cases, your options boil down to fully developing the product in-house, completely outsourcing the development to a trusted partner or outsourcing a portion of the project. If you’ve decided that outsourcing will play a role in your new product’s development, your next question is when to bring your business partner on board.

In our experience with electronics design and manufacturing projects, it’s best to involve your outsourcing partner from day one. Ideally, you should begin working with them at the start of the product concept stage.

There are a few reasons for this. Decisions your team makes early in the design process have implications for manufacturing operations and supply chain management later on. There’s a risk that the design team’s specified components are unavailable where you plan to do your manufacturing.

There may also be design constraints such as the space that certain components occupy or how various raw materials work together. These obstacles can impact the time, cost or quality of your project.

You may find yourself unable to bring your product to market at your planned price point. Or your competitors could beat you to the market because unforeseen delays lengthen your production timelines. Worst of all, your product may not meet your customer’s needs because of design defects your team didn’t anticipate.

Avnan’s Core Competency is Getting Products from Design to Manufacturing

For the past 25 years, Avnan’s core competency has been getting products from design to manufacturing for our clients. You’ll be joining the wide range of successful OEMs who count on that expertise daily. Your company will gain a perspective and a range of expertise from the outset of your new product initiative.

You can count on Avnan to point out pitfalls to avoid in your choice of component manufacturers or layout (which can affect manufacturability). Many design teams benefit from collaboration following a proven, industry-standard product development process.

You can also call on Avnan to recommend your new product’s manufacturing site. You’ll review options for locations that produce comparable technology, deliver labour cost efficiencies, and meet rigorous quality standards.

Your logistics, supply chain management, and specific inventory requirements will guide Avnan’s role during your planning phase. You’ll take advantage of well-developed processes and supplier relationships. You can be confident that your suppliers follow best practices like stocking the components you’ll need and having a supply on hand when you need them.

Supply chain order fulfillment can be your biggest headache in an electronics design and manufacturing project. Involving Avnan in your project planning can make your job easier, more profitable and worry-free later on.

If your company has a new product concept in mind, we’d love to hear about it. Feel free to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our support staff can discuss how to incorporate Avnan’s design experience and process into your product development efforts.

You’ll be working with the best manufacturing locations worldwide and taking the gamble out of working with offshore suppliers. Why go it alone when you have can have a trusted partner like Avnan looking out for your business interests?

Involving Avnan now during the conceptual stage can pay big dividends in terms of efficiency, quality and time to market. Contact our team today and let us help you navigate your way to electronics design and manufacturing success.