The Most Common & Important Steps Involved in Product Development

Product development is all about materializing a new product from just a mere concept. Whether it is a medical device product, a product with electronics, electromechanical product, sports product, a product with embedded software or any other kind of a unique product, there are a number of steps involved in order to realize it. Here are some of the steps that entail in product development:

Step 1: Research

Performing an extensive market research is where the product development begins. A market research helps identify the prospect of the new products. Is the conceived product unique? How ergonomic the product should be? Will the product be helpful to the potential customers? Are there any alternatives for the conceived product yet? Answers to these and many other questions shape the success of the new product, and in order to get the answers, performing research is necessary.

Step 2: Product Design

A conceived idea is actually elucidated during the product design stage. In fact, all the detailed drawings, from concept to envisioned final product, are drawn during the product design stage. Product design is one very tough step of product development.

A conceived product can be simple or complex in nature. If it is a simple product with few parts or components, the product design process will be a single step. On the other hand, if it is a complex product with numerous parts or components, product design process will be broken down into two sub-steps: Preliminary Product Design and Final Product Design.

  • Preliminary Product Design: When a product consists more parts or components, like an electromechanical power unit, which has over hundreds of parts and components, then the preliminary product design step is useful. Preliminary product design is all about the appearance and function of the conceived product, and less about the product’s manufacturability. Once preliminary product designs are made, they become the frameworks for the final product design.
  • Final Product Design: Final product design is all about product manufacturability. In simpler words, it is about creating product designs in such a way that the said products are easy to fabricate or manufacture. The final product design specifies everything required to dictate production or mass manufacturing. It considers everything on a part level. The result of final product design is detailed drawings, 3D image and rendering files, a complete bill of materials, and details to source and assemble.

Step 3: Product Design Analyses / Feasibility Analyses

After realizing the final product design, detailed analyses are carried out on the design prior to product prototyping and prototype testing. These analyses verify the feasibility of the product, as well as its performance, like strength, weight, dimension, etc., prior to developing a physical prototype. This important step lowers the cost and performance risks related to prototype development and prototype testing.

Step 4: Product Prototype Development

Once a definitive product design is ready, alpha and beta product prototypes are made. This is the step where the actual, physical form of a conceived product takes shape and comes into being. Product prototypes are made using suitable plastic product manufacturing techniques. If it is a product with electronics, then breadboards or generic electronic kits, like Arduino kits, are used to make prototypes. 3D printing and rapid prototyping techniques can also be utilized for product prototype development.

Step 5: Prototype Testing

Before moving the product into production, exhaustive testing of the definitive prototype is carried out to make sure that it functions and performs as expected. The prototype is used in all the possible ways it is intended to be used. The general public and potential customers are also allowed to use the prototype; this way, valuable feedbacks from them are taken and implemented before the product is sent for mass manufacturing.

Step 6: Hazard Analysis

The hazard analysis is performed throughout the product development process. It is, however, finalized before the product is sent for production. The purpose of hazard analysis is to identify any possible safety issues that may surface by the product, in the future. If possible, the safety issues will be addressed by the change in the product design. If not, it will be addressed by the accompanying product manual and safety warning labels.

Step 7: Mass Manufacture & Release

The final step of the product development is placing the product into production. If the capital is not the constraint, then own production facility can be set up. If it is the constraint, then outsourcing the production is the sensible and economical way.

Once the product starts to roll out in larger quantities, it can be taken to the market, into the hands of potential customers.

Product development is indeed a time-consuming, mentally-challenging, and exhausting task. For individual inventors, it is next to impossible to realize their dream products on their own. Fortunately, there are product development companies, like GID Development Corporation, that can help inventors with product development.

GID Development Corporation is a leading product development company in the US. Based in California, it offers swift, agile, economical, and top-quality product design, product prototyping, and product development services to inventors throughout the United States and across the globe.

With their vast experience, professionals at GID Development Corporation can help develop large, complex products, products with embedded software, sports products, products with electronics, electromechanical products, and other unique products. No product development project is too big or too small for them; these professionals at GID Development Corporation will “GET IT DONE!”

Have any product development-related questions or queries? Just call Jim Grimes at 714-323-1052 between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST, for a FREE 15-minute telephonic conference. He will answer various questions regarding new product development.

Steps in the New Product Development

New product development may seem as simple as forming an idea for a revolutionary product, manufacturing it, and putting it on the market, bringing it to the customers. Well, the reality is that new product development is a complex process, which involves contributions from many skilled individuals. New products should not only be useful inventions that can be mass manufactured and sold for profit, but they should also be safe to use, protected by intellectual property rights, and more importantly, be easily marketable.

Here are some steps, explained by GID Development Corporation, a product development company in California, USA, which are involved in new product development.

Germinating Ideas

The primary stage of a product development is coming up with a fantastic idea for a new groundbreaking product. Oftentimes, new products are introduced in the market by first recognizing a specific need in the market and then developing a product to satisfy that need. Sometimes, revolutionary product ideas also occur just by chance or an unusual incidence that triggers the concept in the mind of the innovator.

Researching Plausibility of the Idea

The next stage of the product development is finding out the plausibility of the idea. In other words, the innovator needs to find out the degree of acceptability, usability and the value of the conceived new product. Knowing how well the potential customers will receive the new product is vital. It prevents a lot of time, money, resources and efforts on the development of products that are worthless to the potential customers.

Concept Development

Development, or rather, enhancement of a concept is the essence of new product development. It includes, but not limited to getting a grip on the basics, such as market research, material selection, material costs, product design costs, prototype development cost, overall manufacturing costs, potential profit, target regions, target customers, and so on.

Actual New Product Development

Actual new product development is the stage where the conceived idea and all the researched and concept development data are amalgamated and put into action. A product development company starts with the creation of new product design, using researched data. After the creation of a definitive product design, the company moves on to the development of prototypes. Then, the prototypes are tested, and changes are made until an idealized new product is realized.

Bulk Manufacturing

After realizing an ideal new product from the conceived idea, the product is bulk manufactured. Usually, it is affordable to outsource bulk manufacturing. If the budget is not the constraint, your own production facility can also be set up to bulk manufacture the new product.

Commercialization

The commercialization stage of new product development involves packaging, branding, logistics, warehousing, as well as rolling out the advertising and marketing campaigns. In short, commercialization is a stage of bringing new products to the market and to the potential customers.

New product development is a complex, time-consuming, and arduous process. An innovator cannot tackle the new product development process on their own. Luckily, product development companies, like GID Development Corporation, are established that can help innovators with the entire product development process.

GID Development Corporation is an American product development company based in California. Utilizing their vast experience and the most advanced technologies, like Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which includes product design and product development apps, such as CATIA V6, ENOVIA, 3DVIA, SOLIDWORKS, and more, the veterans at GID Development Corporation assist innovators in every stage of new product development. Whether it is the development of medical device products, mechanical products, electrical products, electromechanical products, products with imbedded software, or any other types of products, GID Development Corporation will always thrive.

To learn more about GID Development Corporation, visit https://www.gidcompany.com/.

GID Development Corporation is currently offering a free 15-minute telephonic consultation. Anyone who is interested should just call Mr. Jim Grimes, one of the pros at GID, at 714-323-1052 between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST.

ElectroMechanical Products – Get It Done With Development Corporation

Electromechanical product development is not a difficult process but, yes, a bit more complex than ordinary product development processes. It includes the same of sets of manufacturing stages including, conceptualization, designing, prototyping and bulk manufacturing. But, what are exactly electromechanical products?

Electromechanical products can be defined as products with both electrical and mechanical parts. The whole process of electromechanical product development remains the same as the routine product development, the only difference is, realizing and manufacturing of these products necessitates supplementary mechanical and electrical engineering. The process of integrating electrical engineering and mechanical engineering in a product may sound simple, but in fact, it’s a complicated process demanding 100% precision.

The branch of electrical engineering is widespread with in-depth presence in almost every genre of product. It deals with the study and application of not only the electronics and electricity but electromagnetism, as well. While these are some misunderstood topics for a common inventor or a business person, the final products of electrical engineering are all the things that operate on some form of electricity, which we usually see in our surrounding daily activities. This may include products such as power grids to computers to light bulbs to smartphones to spacecraft to automobiles, everything that requires some sort of electricity to operate is a result of electrical engineering.

On the other hand, mechanical engineering is a branch of engineering that is multiple times broader than electrical engineering. This genre of engineering comprises the study and application of thermodynamics, electricity, mechanics, kinematics, material science and structural analysis to name a few. Unlike other branches of engineering, mechanical engineering is also quite difficult for a normal person to understand; however, the final products of mechanical engineering are machines and devices that we find in our surroundings. Most common products in our surroundings that utilizes one or other principles of mechanical engineering are toasters, door locks, automobiles wristwatches, elevators, aircrafts, etc.

In the 21st century, the demand of multipurpose and revolutionary electromechanical products is surpassing every expectation. These list of electro mechanical products involves every product that could make people’s life more comfortable and convenient. Innovators / entrepreneurs have the ideas for awe-inspiring electro mechanical products that could change the way we live and perform our day to day tasks, but conceptualizing and bring those ideas to life is bit complicated or impossible for most of them. Opportunely, there are product design and development companies that help these innovators / entrepreneurs live their dreams.

If you are an entrepreneur or innovator with an idea for electromechanical products, products with imbedded software, medical device products, products with electronics or something similar that can create a buzz in the market, the GID Development Corporation can help.

With more than four decades of industry experience and a significant track record of customer satisfaction, the GID Development Corporation is an American product design and manufacturing company led by industry veterans. Based in California, GID has the in-house teams of product designers, engineers, prototyping experts and project managers to bring ideas to life in the most lucrative manner. For the development of 100% precise product development at reduced cost and time, they utilize the latest technologies, like Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform that includes CATIA V6, ENOVIA, 3DVIA, SOLIDWORKS, 3DEXCITE, and more.

They have the team, technology and vehemence required to the development of revolutionary electromechanical products, products with electronics, medical device products, products with imbedded software, or anything else, GID Development Corporation will “Get It Done.”

Learn more about GID Development Corporation and how they can help you bring your ideas to life Call Jim Grimes at 714-323-1052 between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST for a free consultation. Checkout our product Willis Auxiliary Power Systems.

Product Design – 3 Reasons Why Second Opinion Design Review is Good Before New Product Development

New product development being a complex and critical process, it’s always a good idea to get a second opinion product design review before you opt for product development. Whether you are looking forward to develop products with electronics, electro-mechanical products, products with imbedded software, medical device products or anything else, a second review certainly helps you save your time and money.

The GID Development Corporation shares with you some of the reasons a second opinion is a smart move when it comes to custom / new product development.

Big Brands Always Get Second Opinions on Product Development:

It’s a universal fact that a new line product hitting the shelf is reviewed by dozens of engineers and clears multiple quality checks. To avoid any manufacturing complications, big brands across the globe ensure that all engineers designing new products get lots of second opinions from other designers.

In the product design and development industry, second opinions are termed as design reviews. To ensure a fruitful second review, design engineers are required to present their new product design to other designers. This step certainly helps the designer to identify minor design issues that could lead to a major error.

Another reason why large companies emphasize on the second opinion design reviews is because electronic products, products with imbedded software and other modern day products are complex in nature, and regardless to the engineer, mistakes are almost made when designing anything complex. Therefore, it is in our favor to take every possible step to minimize the risk of design mistakes.

Second Opinions Will Reduce Your Prototyping Costs

Product prototype development is yet another expensive step involved in the process of new product development; therefore, being a responsible entrepreneur / inventor, we need to make sure that the design is accurate before prototyping.

Most product manufacturing companies prefer at least three revisions to get products ready for market; however, the number and severity of the changes required will be considerably decreased with design reviews. A second opinion design review before prototype development is one of the best ways to reduce manufacturing cost and time.

Your Wireless Design is Likely to Be Junk Without a Second Opinion

Manufacturing wireless products like WiFi, Bluetooth, or GPS is a job of high precision, and unfortunately, 75-85% of engineers get it wrong when it comes to designing wireless parts. Some mistakes are so major that the prototype may not work at all or may function in a very limited fashion.

Designing multifaceted products with imbedded software, electro-mechanical, electronic parts or something similar is quite different than ordinary products. Therefore, if you are planning a product with multiple functionalities, then you should get a second opinion.

To Conclude

The advantages of second opinion design reviews carry over into all the aspects of designing and manufacturing a new product. The opinion of multiple design veterans is always a smart move.

When it comes to new product development, hiring a product development company with years of experience and teams of engineers having specialization in different engineering fields is a wise move.

If you just had that your eureka moment, then the GID Development Corporation can certainly help you bring your ideas to life. Being one of the leading product manufacturing companies in the United States, GID offers A-Z services, from industrial design services to taking the new product to the consumers and everything in between. They have an in-house team of engineers, product designers, prototype developers, and other professionals that can help bring any idea to reality.

Along with the above mentioned reasons to partner the GID Development Corporation for your next product development venture, the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) policy of the company is quite impressive. The company and its people are highly committed towards the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and protect their client’s intellectual property rights for their new product idea prior to their disclosure of any pertinent information. At the GID Development Corporation, a Non-Disclosure Agreement is placed at the apex of their product design and development process.

A Non-Disclosure Agreement covers customer-centric points such as;

  1. A complete contact information of both parties involved.
  2. Definition of Confidential Information
  3. Ownership of Confidential Information
  4. Phased Release of Discloser’s Confidential Information
  5. Term of the Agreement
  6. Termination Terms and Conditions
  7. Injunction relative to Recipient’s failure to perform
  8. Changes must be in writing and agreed to by both parties
  9. NDA does not constitute a partnership or joint venture
  10. NDA will be governed by the laws of a given State of the United States of America
  11. Brief Description of the idea and/or product
  12. Dated Signatures of both Parties

Armed with a properly crafted and executed NDA, the inventor can now freely divulge their idea and discuss it in detail while revealing their expectations for its success. Being a competent and professional design & engineering Firm, GID Company always proceed in this manner by insuring the client is protected at the start of Design & Development Process for a new or improved product idea.

To know more about NDA or to discuss your product idea, Dial 714-323-1052 and ask for Jim Grimes or visit their website https://www.gidcompany.com/.

5 Important Steps for the Development of New Products with Electronics

Development of products with electronics is as equally challenging as the development of generic, non-electronic products. New product development, whether electrical, mechanical, electromechanical, medical, or generic, is a tough task. Materializing a mere new product concept into reality involves several steps. For products with electronics, however, in addition to the standard product development steps, there are several more steps involved. Here in this blog, we shed some light on 5 important steps that entail the development of new products with electronics.

Step 1. Design the Circuit Schematic

Designing the circuit schematic for products with electronics usually involves early research so as to identify and select the ideal topology (circuit diagram) and most affordable, yet efficient components.

The step may also include running software simulations as well as bread boarding. Speaking of bread boarding, it is nothing but the creation of basic prototypes for products with electronics.

Designing the circuit schematic requires lots of thinking and considerable years of experience in the field of electronics engineering. In order to design the circuit schematic for new products with electronics, industry experts use some sort of computer software application. There are many such software applications available, but SOLIDWORKS, a part of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform from Dassault Systèmes, is the most versatile and popular.

Step 2. Develop the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) Layout

Utilizing the same software application as in Step 1., the experts now develop the PCB layout for the new product with electronics.

While some portion of the PCB layout may be auto-routed, the remaining portion would normally be routed manually. Usually, the PCB layout is very sensitive, for power components as well as RF components, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, etc.

Once the final layout is ready, the software application will let the expert know, whether the PCB matches with its schematic. The software will also check wire lengths, wire widths, spacing, and so on, to ensure that the PCB layout meets all the guidelines for the specific PCB fabrication process being used.

Step 3. Create, Assess and Debug the Prototype

Based the circuit schematic and PCB layout, a prototype PCB of a new product with electronics is fabricated and assembled with all the right electronic components. With the prototype ready, it is thoroughly assessed, and if any issues or problems are found, it will be noted and rectified.

Most inventors expect to go everything right on the first try, but this is not possible. No product prototype, whether for generic, electronic, or mechanical product, is perfect or flawless on the first go. There are always some issues with the first prototype, which need to be rectified. Rectifying a prototype PCB is a difficult step because identifying the precise problem in the field of electronics is not something easy. Even after the precise identification of the problem, coming up with a right fix can take some time.

Step 4. Program the Microcontroller

Today, almost all products with electronics have some sort of microcontroller, a small computer in the form of a chip, which acts as the brain of the product.

These microcontrollers are programmable, and they are often programmed using “C” programming language. If the program needs to be fast and efficient, other high-level assembly languages may be used.

Often, the microcontroller is programmed by the expert who has designed the circuit; however, sometimes a specialist is brought to do the programming.

One a side note, because the products with electronics use a programmable microcontroller, they can also be called products with imbedded software.

Step 5. Looks and Ergonomics

This step is always handled by other professionals. An expert who is proficient in 3D modeling is needed to create the adequate looks and ergonomic (user-friendly, comfortable and functional) designs for the new products with electronics.

Creating the packaging, i.e. the outer body or casing, for the products with electronics is a challenging task. Electrical products are susceptible to various damages; thus, when designing and developing the packaging for the products with electronics, the experts need to consider the following factors:

  1. Protection from electrostatic discharge
  2. Protection from mechanical damage
  3. Protection from electromagnetic interference
  4. Protection from heat
  5. Ease of maintenance
  6. Cost

As mentioned before, the development of products with electronics is challenging. Therefore, it will be a great idea to hire an eminent product design and product development company that, along with the design and development of generic products, also specializes in the design and development of products with electronics.

If you happen to be an innovator and need help in the design and development of the new products with electronics, then GID Development Corporation is here to help. A leading product design and product development company in California, USA, GID Development Corporation specializes in the design and development of products with electronics, electromechanical products, medical device products, and other generic as well as special-purpose products. They use the 3DEXPERIENCE platform from Dassault Systèmes, which assists them in designing and developing accurate product prototypes at reduced cost and time. No matter what the new product concept is, GID Development Corporation can “Get It Done.”

To learn more about GID Development Corporation, just visit https://www.gidcompany.com/.

Currently, GID Development Corporation is offering a free 15-minute telephonic consultation with one of the veterans, Jim Grimes. You can call Jim Grimes at 714-323-1052 between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST.

Benefits of Hiring a Product Development Company

Every business has a sole purpose of selling their products and services in order to gain maximum returns. The quality of the products and service, however, determines the success of a particular business. The products and services of an inferior quality factor towards low sales and eventually minimal returns. For that reason, enterprises are required to carry out extensive research regarding product design and development, so that they can bring something new with high quality to the market.

Most successful businesses have a separate product development and research division in their organization. However, those who do not have such a division, how can they perform research and development? The answer is quite simple. They should hire the services of a professional product development company. Here are some of the advantages of hiring a reliable product development company for the designing and development of your product.

Consumer-Centric

By hiring a professional product development company, you can be rest assured that the products and services you will introduce will be more consumer-centric. A consumer-centric design gives the consumers a reason to buy from you, rather than from your competitors. These product development companies introduce a valuable fundamental of differentiation between your products, and your competitors’ products. Therefore, you will have a product for which consumers will be willing to pay more. Also, a consumer-centric design creates a brand name, which in turn attracts more customers.

Economical

One remarkable benefit of hiring a product development company is that you do not have to worry about the operating expenses of maintaining an in-house R&D team all-round the year. Therefore, when compared to a dedicated in-house team, hiring a product development company seems to be a sensible and economical option. Overall, by hiring a professional company, you will be able to cut the costs of hiring, training and maintaining the in-house team, and at that same time, use the saved money for better designing and development of your product or for other purposes.

Experience

Usually, most product development companies are in the business of designing and developing products for years; hence, they know exactly all the factors that keep a product from being successful. They are highly qualified and have valuable experience in solving product design problems and complications.

They undergo training in product development programs on a regular basis, and they stay updated with the market trends. Aside from problem-solving skills, they also possess the ability to determine the market viability of a product and calculate the possible outcome. Additionally, they even have the capability to prepare effective marketing strategies that ensure wide product reach and better consumer acceptance.

Good Results

As mentioned in the previous point, a professional product development company has vast experience and a wide exposure in the field of product design and development. For that reason, they can produce good results in contrast to an in-house R&D division. Professional companies know the nitty-gritty of product design and product development.

Further, they also know all the mistakes and errors that needed to be avoided, which otherwise could end up costing you a lot.

They also perform market researches and surveys during the product design and development phases to understand what the consumers actually want. This enables them to design and develop products, which live up to consumers’ expectations.

So now, are you ready to enjoy the above advantages? If yes, then get in touch with a reputable product design and development company. Jim Grimes at 714-323-1052 8am – 5pm PST for a free consultation.