Painless product development

John Hawker, managing director of Design Technology International, offers small businesses tips of the trade on how to successfully develop products.

Having a great new product idea or access to the latest technology is one thing but translating it into a market-winner can be a major hurdle. And it's even worse for SMEs with limited in-house research and development (R&D) or marketing experience to draw on.

Partnering with an outside agency seems like the perfect answer but the sector is dogged with tales of projects over-running and costing twice as much on the way! But it doesn't have to be like this. Getting the right partner on board in the first place is essential in getting your business on track to developing the right product on time and to budget.

Here are top ten tips to consider when searching for the ideal product development partner; all of them are vital in ensuring a long-term, relatively pain-free and profitable relationship for both sides:

Remember innovation is king

And number one for positively differentiating your products and giving you a market lead. Work closely with your design and development partner to ensure that your new product is clearly differentiated and bear in mind that it's value-add that matters not superfluous features.

Partner with your partner

More than anything else the quality of the decision-making process in the planning phase is critical for project success. Involve your consultants in exploiting every opportunity to reduce product cost and increase perceived value to your market.

Don't get dazzled by size

It's amazing how many companies get blinded by the cachet of working with a big brand product design consultancy in the belief that they're guaranteed a better outcome. Look for a partner that fits your business model and hire for track record and experience, not size.

Keep teams small and focused

The best outcomes are delivered from small and focused product development teams. But also make sure the team involves senior-level decision makers and is representative of your total business.

Build in escape routes

First define the scope of the project then break it into logical phases with defined timescales and costs for each. Retain the ability to stop the programme at the end of each phase if objectives are not being met.

Invest in feasibility studies

An initial small-scale study is essential in demonstrating that development objectives can be met, their likely costs and project timescales. If the outcome looks positive then build a device to demonstrate proof of principle and consider introducing patentable features to lock out competitors and provide strategic market advantage.

Avoid cutting corners on prototyping

Unfortunately lots of companies see prototyping as an extra step that simply adds cost and delays market launch. But engineering prototypes are essential to check fit and functionality before committing to expensive tooling. Remember failures in the field are costly to correct and can be tantamount to commercial suicide!

Maximise 3D CAD

Make sure you exploit the very latest 3D technologies to allow your sales and marketing teams - and some potential customers - to review and feedback on concepts when they're still in the planning stage. Sophisticated 3D CAD also allows data files and imagery to be sent direct to sub-contractors to improve manufacturing accuracy and reduce cost and time to market.

Look at the whole not just the parts

The product's 'look and feel' needs to be developed concurrently with its engineering design because a technically sophisticated product has to look the part too. Where cost, performance and product quality are similar it is always the better-looking product that wins the sale.

Spread the risks and rewards

Consider offsetting some development cost by accessing specific R&D funding schemes or structure a deal with your consultancy to link their rewards to the product's future success.

Outsourcing design and development is often billed as a high-risk strategy but with careful planning and an experienced partner it can deliver stunning results. And when innovative, market-winning products are produced on time and to budget it can be a highly cost-effective and virtually painless fast-track to market and commercial success too.