With huge advancements in prototyping technology, many inventors and entrepreneurs are utilizing professional prototyping services to help get ideas from their brains to the assembly line. Although these developers are extremely talented at breathing life into actionable ideas, there are still some existing concerns ambitious idealists need to understand and address before they bring their million-dollar ideas to a prototyping service.
1. The devil is in the details
To save on time and overhead costs, inventors need to make sure that they have all the product details hammered out in extreme specificity. In our advanced age of computer-assisted digital drawings, most entrepreneurs come to prototyping companies with three dimensional models that display the product from all angles, including measurements. Blueprints should also include the materials needed for product fabrication.
2. Be ready to revise
Don’t be afraid, as the expression goes, to kill your babies. Don’t take offense when potential changes are recommended, and realize that nothing is safe from the chopping block. Understand that prototyping is collaborative, no matter your position. After all, everyone you work with is on your team.
3. Keep a tally
No matter your background, when it comes to prototyping, you should be thinking like an engineer. It’s well worth the effort to document every step of the way as you refine your creation toward its ultimate form. Assign dates to each new iteration and always keep backup copies of the product’s evolution. It’s as easy as naming our files beta 1.0, beta 1.1, and so on. An additional benefit of such a system is the fact that it allows you to easily backtrack if a certain feature or flaw needs to be corrected. Further, a religious paper trail also allows you to develop straightforward, precise assembly instructions when you arrive at the manufacturing stage.
4. Realize that school is in session
You may not know everything (or anything) about manufacturing, prototyping and engineering. Be prepared to learn from the company you partner with, and scope out potential alliances based on their specific expertise. Some companies just do prototyping, whereas others are readily available to help investors and entrepreneurs with end-to-end business development. Base your search for companies on their ability to fill a void in your existing knowledge base.
The takeaway here is that organization and communication are the most crucial aspects of taking on the world with your new product. Our global marketplace is constantly in flux, so be sure to keep your head on a swivel and be open to new ideas at every turn.
