New Product Introduction (NPI) Best Practices

You just came up with your latest prototype design idea. To reduce your fixed cost your company has decided on an outsourcing model. How do you aim your efforts towards a successful path? First, you will want to know:

• What is important to you for your New Product Introduction?

• What gets you to market, and staying on top of your market?

• What is important to you for your product’s lifecycle?

Obviously, time to market is a key objective. And, your design needs to be accepted into the market at the right price, with unwavering customer confidence. This requires manufacturing repeatability, reliability, and supplier ownership in your success. Supplier ownership that parallels the life cycles of your product and service. This requires the selection of the right Contract Manufacturer to partner with who has a proven track record of delivering a high standard of manufacturing and service quality, customer dedication, superior communication, flexibility, and patience.

Qualities to look for in an NPI partner:

• Effective Communication through a partnership relationship: Dedicated Program Management and Manufacture Engineering who know and understand your product requirements through the life cycles of your product(s).

• Solid understanding of your requirements and expectations; including product requirements, timeline, and cost expectations. Transforming your requirements into an alignment of what Applied Engineering will deliver.

• Manufacturing efficiency (DFM): BOM structure analysis and implementation for maximized assembly throughput.

• Material Management: Strategic Supply Chain and Inventory Management to reduce liability exposure and reduce lead-times.

• Effective Change Management through your product life-cycles, including product enhancements and (EOL) end of life issues.

• Copy Exact Principles: Technical specification and build documentation management to assure that your products are manufactured the same way every time.

In essence, a partner who will fully buy into your vision and help drive you to success.