3 Invaluable Tips for Choosing a Hardware Development Partner
We’ve all heard the saying “hardware is hard.” That can certainly be the case, but at Knectiv we believe that you shouldn’t make things any harder than they have to be. That’s why our company slogan is “Making Hardware Easy.” In this article, we’ll explain how we vertically integrate product development with manufacturing and why that’s so important.
We give three important reasons why we believe it's critical you choose a hardware design partner that can prototype and manufacture your products.
DFM Integration the Right Way: There are plenty of companies that can design prototypes and concepts for you, but few will actually be able to deliver production-ready designs that have been vetted by the same factory that will actually be manufacturing the products. We believe it’s critical to incorporate DFM (design for manufacturing) into every aspect of your design. While design software can help, nothing can replace direct, real-time feedback from the factory. When we lay out PCBs, draw up BOMs, and create mechanical enclosures, we constantly cross-check those designs with our manufacturing teams to make sure everything is optimized for cost and efficiency.
When Incentives are Aligned, You Win: When you work with a design firm that is also vying for your manufacturing business, your incentives are aligned in a way that’s simply not the case when you contract with a design-for-hire service that won’t be seeing the project all the way through. Your target COGS price, timeline, and overall attractability of your products are our mission. We want to create a long-term partnership that extends well beyond the product development phase, which means that we’re optimizing for the same things that will be important to you after your product development is completed - getting your products to market on time and on budget, with a sustainable design that is easy to manufacture.
Bring Everything Under One Roof: Working with a design firm that can take your idea from concept to mass production makes your life easier in so many ways. Trying to manage multiple partners can be time-consuming and important information can get lost in the cracks, so having a dedicated team that knows your product inside and out is a huge advantage. By combining design, prototyping, and mass production under one roof, we can help to streamline your operations and reduce time to market. Another important consideration is NPI, or “New Product Integration.” If you design your products in one place, prototype them in another, and then mass manufacture them somewhere else, your first mass production run will be the first chance the factory has to get eyes on your goods. NPI is complicated and time-consuming, but having a manufacturer that has been hands-on with your product from the design stage will greatly expedite the process and reduce errors, as familiarity with the product is key. Get a leg up and involve the factory as early in the process as possible.
The most important takeaway from this is that a design firm with manufacturing expertise can save you time and money—and offer you a shortcut to the process of getting your product out the door. With these points in mind, take your time when choosing a designer, and make sure to select one with the right combination of capabilities to help you achieve your goals. If you are looking for help developing hardware products with the goal of scaling your manufacturing fast, contact us today.