Successfully launching a new product requires a design, development, and production partner with a proven track record, systematic methods, and a seamless end-to-end process. This includes everything from proof-of-concept to regulatory compliance to prototyping to production to distribution. At Pivot International, we know this firsthand, as we’re behind multiple award-winning consumer and industrial products. As a global single-source partner, we help businesses create successful products and effectively scale in the Age of Industry 4.0.
With nearly half a century of experience, we’ve become masters at understanding what it takes to successfully bring a product to market. Here are three practices that are indispensable to achieving that goal.
Construct a Clear Roadmap
Product development is highly complex and composed of multiple “moving parts.” To ensure successful development, extensive planning and high levels of coordination are required between the various stages of development and the teams responsible for executing them. This involves the construction of a clear roadmap or detailed action plan leading to a well-defined goal or destination.
Because the product development process is a complex chain of interdependent activities, a breakdown or error at any point in the chain can compromise and derail the entire process. An experienced product development partner will be acutely attuned to where potential breakdowns are likely to occur and will rely on detailed action plans and constant monitoring to prevent them.
Breakdowns in the product development process are more likely to be caused by inadequate planning, poorly defined goals, and a lack of transparent communication than by functional or mechanical issues. Though any experienced and reputable product development partner will implement sound planning protocols, a single-source partner adds another layer of protection. This is due to a single-source partner conducting all aspects and stages of product development under a single umbrella. This guarantees complete transparency and oversight throughout the entire product development process.
Establish Proof of Concept
Proof-of-concept is a series of steps that are undertaken to determine whether a product idea is viable by testing the assumption behind it. Pivot’s proof-of-concept services ensure a potential product is not only conceptually sound but also scalable (able to be manufactured at the right volume at the right price) to ensure market success.
Concept testing is conducted early in the product development process and is enhanced by close collaboration between the author(s) of the concept and their product development partner. During proof-of-concept, participants work together to challenge and refine a proposed concept. By applying industry best practices, while remaining open to opportunities for innovation, the concept is refined, revised, and eventually validated.
Connected to proof-of-concept is certification. For many products, establishing proof-of-concept is only half the battle as certifying a new product tends to be a complicated process. At Pivot, we make the process simple and use certified ISO:9001 and ISO:13485 systems to assure the confirmation of each Pivot product. Our background working with TUV, UL, ETL, CE, FCC, and others gives us the experience necessary to assure low certification costs and properly executed lead-times.
Create a Working Prototype
While proof-of-concept validates that it’s possible and reasonable for a product to be developed, prototyping takes this one step further to determine how it will be developed. Prototyping entails the creation of an actual model that product designers, developers, and other participants can handle, interact with, and actively test.
Prototyping is a dynamic process that unfolds over multiple phases, often beginning with a digital or virtual model that is then physically rendered through 3D printing or other mediums. Prototyping, by definition, is iterative. This means that each successive model provides new learning and insight that is then applied to the subsequent version, allowing for ongoing improvement in product design and functionality.
Prototyping can be approached in many different ways, and dozens of techniques exist for creating a working model depending on the size, type, quality, and scale of prototype required. Rapid prototyping and parallel prototyping are included in these techniques and are among the best practices that Pivot employs to take a product from design to production.
At Pivot, we deliver advanced, end-to-end product design, development, production, and supply chain management services. If you’re in the process of bringing a new product to market and are looking for a proven partner with industry-leading experience, contact us today. Working together, we’ll position your product for success to help you grow your business and scale for the future.
