The 9 Proven Steps For Choosing An Electronics Design Company
So, you or your team have an idea for an electronic product, device or application. What’s more, you’re pretty sure – no, absolutely certain – that it will revolutionise, if not the world, then your back pockets. After all, you’ve done the hard yards. You’ve identified a gap in the market, you’ve carried out the necessary research, and you’ve established a viable product that will meet this need.
The problem? You don’t have the manpower, tools or expertise to bring this product to life, let alone to market. So where to from here? How do you go about turning that idea into a potential moneymaker, while also meeting strict time and financial budgets that will ultimately determine the success or failure of this project?
If this speaks to you, then it sounds like you need an electronics design company. But how do you find one, let alone one that can meet your very specific needs? It can be a tricky search, especially when your decision can mean the difference between getting your product to market on time, and getting caught up in costly delays and setbacks. Sure, you could switch companies at a later date, but is that a mistake you can afford to make?
The steps we’ve outlined below are intended as a guide to help you through this decision making process, and ensure you’ve considered all possibilities before you sign on the dotted line.
For example, say you have the following two candidates in front of you. The first is an electronics design startup, with little real-world experience and no past clients. The second? It’s a company with 10+ years of experience, with a history of successful projects, happy clients, and industry-wide recognition.
From here, highlight the companies that have experience within a specific field similar to the one you intend to enter, or are flexible and versatile enough to adapt to your needs. If your projects requires microcontroller design and development, for example, look for companies with a history in the field.
At the end of the day, you want to know that your project is in the experienced hands of a developer that knows how to deal with the challenges that inevitably arise over the course of any project.
Larger companies often suffer from an unfair stigma that they’ll treat you, the customer, as ‘just another number’. While small companies, in comparison, are known for providing personal, individualised service that can better suit your specific needs. They often become as personally invested in your project as your are because, after all, your success is their success too.
On the flipside, larger companies often have access to a much larger pool of resources, which can help speed up the process and ensure your project is moving through the production pipeline at a comfortable speed.
Look for signs of this approach early. How are your initial enquiries being followed up? What kind of language is being used? How are you treated during those initial conversations, and later when you’re talking to higher-ups within the company?
How a company treats new and potential customers is often a sign of how they’ll treat you a day, a week or a month down the track. Judge them based on your personal criteria, and choose wisely.
Experienced, results-driven management teams don’t just sit on the sidelines, instead they offer up new ideas or ways to improve your project because they care about it, and want it to become the success you already know it can be.
Don’t always take this at face value, though. Oftentimes, companies can play the tried-and-tested bait-and-switch. That is, you’ll be lead to believe that senior staff are working on your project, when in reality much of the work is being carried out by subcontractors. Stay vigilant, ask questions, and find the answers you need to make an informed decision.
Questions you need answers to here include:
- How will the process be executed?
- What should I expect during the process?
- How will the project be managed?
- How will activities be tracked and resources allocated in order to meet goals?
- How often will you be updated on progress etc?
Solid quality control is also crucial. A completed product is no good if one in three are falling apart. This is often achieved through robust design verification testing that ensures the products being created are performing to the intended design specifications.
Any company should be able to provide you with a draft or template document that outlines their standard list of procedures, which will then be adapted to fit the specific needs of your project.
It’s here, with a list of potentials in hand, that you need to start evaluating who you’ll be working with within these organisations should you enlist their services – In most cases, this will be the project manager – and get a feeling for just how well you get along with them. Are they the kind of person you can see yourself working with on a regular basis? Do you feel they’re skilled enough to guide your project to completion?
It may seem small, but it’s important to evaluate a firm’s team and their ‘bedside manner’, so to speak, before you sign on. They may get the job done either way, but you don’t want to have to fight, kick, and scream to get there.
Like anyone, design companies want to put their best foot forward, so there’s always a chance they’ll cherry-pick their best clients, or showcase beautiful product designs that never left the concept artist’s sketchbook. It’s one thing to conceptualise products, but it’s a whole other thing to successfully commercialise them.
Armed with this knowledge, dig deeper. Find out who else the company has worked with, particularly those within a similar field as your product, and get in touch. Find out how the process went, how successful it was, the ins and outs of the project management, financials, and team chemistry.
Did it succeed in increasing market share or sales? Did it help to position the client within their desired market? This is usually where you’ll find red flags if they’re there, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.
If you’re planning on leading the charge on the cutting edge of electronics, look for a product development company that isn’t going to leave you in the lurch at the concept phase. Innovative concepts and swish designs aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on if due thought isn’t given to the manufacturability, human factors, profitability and end-user experience.
If they don’t know how to make your idea work, you’re wasting money, so find a company that can take that initial concept all the way across the finish line.
With this in mind, seek out companies that consistently work on multiple projects for the same clients. If they’re sticking around for 2, 3 or 4 products (if not more) then this is a sign they’re not just happy with the technical execution, but also the project & financial management, team chemistry, and other deciding factors.
The above criteria are just a few of the numerous factors you should consider when making your decision. The size and experience of the company, how they’ve treated past clients – and how they’ll treat you – as well as their eye for innovation are all key factors that need to be considered before you can decide. By keeping these in mind, you’ll ensure your decision will benefit your product, your company, and contribute to its long-term success long after the tools are downed for the last time.