How do you extend your in-house expertise?
When tackling a group of parallel product development projects, you may not always have enough of the needed expertise in-house. At these times, it makes sense to bring in a specialist that has both the technical insight and business sense to help you plan and execute the launch of your product development portfolio.
Specific areas where we can help
Using the concurrent product development program, we have developed and introduced hundreds of successful consumer products in dozens of categories and markets. Products have ranged from single component, durable outdoor products to complex mechanical systems used in marine applications. We are very familiar with making manufacturers money by working the mid-ground of concurrent product development between ideation/design and delivery to the retail market. Some of the benefits we can provide your team include:
- Strategic trends and positioning, SWOT and PEST analyses, business planning, and technology/market mapping
- Technical writing and proposal support, SBIR proposal submissions, RFP development, and management
- Materials and process selection, identification, sourcing, implementation and troubleshooting
- Prototype tooling and processes, proof-of-concept articles, product specs, and standards development
- Product performance evaluation—lab and field testing, individual (anecdotal) use reporting and large-scale statistical results analyses
- Production line optimization, tool-up, value stream analysis and optimization, layout, implementation, and process debugging
- Sampling—quality sampling plans, testing and statistical analysis, design/counter sampling, sales/rep/key account short run sample coordination
- Sales meetings, trade shows and technical clinic development
- IP—patent strategy, prior art research, white space evaluation, provisional patent applications and unsolicited idea management
