5 Things for Better PROGRAM TRANSFER from Prototype to Volume

摘要

Beyond conception, bringing a new product to life is a challenge. From the saying that "hardware is hard" to the number of failed product launches and missed deadlines (behind the scenes of all major consumer products we use today), we've compiled a few important lessons learned to help founders and engineers on their product development and manufacturing adventures. Too many design projects go to waste or must restart from scratch because manufacturing at scale wasn't a building block of the development plan. Here are five things OEMs and EMS companies should do to better ensure a seamless transfer of programs from proto to volume: 1. Ensure the build priorities are thought-out and communicated to the team. Don't assume the team should know your project's priorities. We like to start development builds by explaining we are not building things: PCBA, subassemblies, or finished units. Rather, we are building information, developing the process, and solving problems. The units being built will never be sold and are not useful on their own; they are a means to an end, not an end unto themselves. Do we want to solve problems 10 at a time or 10,000 at a time? When the team asks if they can move forward, even though the MES system is not set up to collect data, or asks why Lean matters in a build of 40, we ask if their solution meets the stated goals or is just a shortcut to get the units out.