DSL Managing Director Rory Dear explains why building your proof-of-concept (POC) for new electronic product development makes sense. The importance of a POC should never be underestimated. Without hard evidence that a product can be made and is useful in a real-world scenario, companies risk time and money on manufacturing a product which provides no real value to the user.
“The POC process does a great job of helping to define the key technological and logistical challenges and overcome them before significant investment is made,” explains Rory, “there’s no guess work or assumptions; building a POC will give you a chance to set realistic expectations on how and when a product can be delivered.”
DSL offers outsourced design and development specialising in embedded/industrial product development, across hardware, software, certification and production.
“Our clients chose to work with us, as an extension of their in-house team, because we can help them ‘de-risk’ the process, says Rory, “by accessing our range of skills and experience across a range of industries, clients benefit from our independent expertise and resource capabilities which add real value to process.”
How outsourcing POC leads to success
Here are five other reasons why outsourcing POC and electronic design leads to success:
1. You’ll be amazed at what can be achieved
When time and/or resource is tight, DSL aim to take a design from concept, through to design and working prototypes in only six weeks! As work is completed and invoiced at agreed milestones, it’s in everyone’s interest to draw tasks to a successful conclusion in a timely manner.
2. There will be no nasty surprises
DSL’s new ‘Functional Building Block’ approach of re-using proven circuitry from its numerous functional building block designs, drives the majority of the risk out of the design as well as reducing the cost of the design. This reliable method with tried and tested functionality can provide a lightning time to market, helping you to stay ahead of the competition.
3. It removes pressure on in-house teams
Constant investment in the latest tools and software and IPC-qualified design engineers means the critical time-to-market needs of clients can be met by DSL. This allows the client’s own engineers to focus on the company’s core competency, not experience a painful and expensive learning curve to understand an unfamiliar technology for what may be a one-off requirement.
4. Risks are dramatically reduced
The correct implementation of IPC design standards, proven component footprints and well-established layout techniques drive down the risks of new product introduction. DSL can help to forecast the feasibility of a new electronic product, validate the key components and ultimately minimise the risks to investment. Plus, with lifetime technical support, even if a query is unrelated the team will help to provide a technical response to a support issue.
5. Your “I’ll get around to it’ project becomes their priority
Having an early version of the product on the table gives the initial buy-in you need from end-users and decision makers. Having helped to define clear and measurable objectives for the proof of concept stage, DSL will do all the hard work for you allowing you to focus on other work. DSL will provide; a design proposal, project plan, schematic design, PCB design prototypes, environmental testing, manufacturing pack and production management!
Rory adds: “DSL clients rely on us to play a key role in meeting their quality, cost and time goals by making the design and delivery process as smooth and predictable as possible. With over 25 years’ experience, we have developed a proven design process which fast tracks many of the time-consuming stages, while delivering ‘right first time’ results.
“If you can imagine it, we can design and build it for you.”