new product development Archives - Means Engineering, Inc.

Medical Device Companies Can Benefit From Partnering With a Contract Manufacturer

August 30, 2019 By meiadmin

Most people think of contract manufacturing as a way to reduce the costs of production. While it is definitely true that outsourcing can significantly reduce production costs, what you might not realize is it also provides the unique opportunity for companies to gain access to the knowledge and experience of existing manufacturers.

Utilizing a CM helps companies improve product quality and avoid large capital expenditures on the machinery and people needed to create new products. Although contract manufacturing provides numerous benefits for companies in almost every industry, it provides unique benefits for those responsible for the creation of devices for the medical industry.

Do You Have the Specialized Equipment and Highly-Skilled Staff Needed to Produce High Quality Medical Devices?

Medical device creation requires special machinery with the capabilities to create precision-dependent products. It also requires a well-trained and highly skilled workforce. These requirements often act as a barrier for companies looking to enter the medical device industry. The right contract manufacturer can help these companies bridge the gap and ensure the creation of high quality, dependable medical devices.

Using a contract manufacturer allows companies to tap into valuable resources including people, machinery, materials, and more. Outsourcing is much more cost-efficient than acquiring these resources in-house. Outsourcing eliminates the need to purchase, store, and maintain specialized equipment. It also eliminates the need to locate and train qualified staff.

An experienced contract manufacturer maintains the appropriate staff, equipment, and technology needed to produce a wide range of products. They understand the unique requirements of the medical industry and have quality management systems in place to ensure the creation of high quality devices.

Choose an Experienced Contract Manufacturer

Creating medical devices takes specialized equipment and experienced staff that understands the unique requirements of the medical industry. When looking for a contract manufacturer to work with, it’s important to find a company with experience working with the medical industry.

Gather as much information as you can prior to your selection. This helps ensure you’re well prepared to make an educated and informed decision.

Best Practices for New Product Introductions

July 26, 2019 By meiadmin

Companies today must continually release new products to keep up with consumer demand. This can be difficult when you have distributed teams working with external suppliers. Slip ups are common. Unfortunately, one mistake can create numerous problems for your business. It’s important to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to new product introductions.

What is NPI?

New Product Introduction (NPI) includes all of the processes and activities involved with the design, development, and launch of a new or improved product.

New product introduction (NPI) processes affect every part of production from concept through competition. It’s crucial that companies review and refine these processes to ensure smooth and efficient product development and introduction.

Importance of NPI Best Practices

Around 80% of new products fail. This is an unsettling statistic for any company responsible for the design and creation of new products. Fortunately, there are some NPI best practices that can improve your chances of success. These processes revolve around understanding the consumer, clear communication, and ensuring high quality design and development.

Customer-Focused Approach

The creation of every product begins with design and innovation. During the design process, companies should consider the needs of the consumer. For best results, figure out how your product can solve a problem or relieve a pain point for the customer.

Taking a customer-focused approach to the design process improves the odds of success exponentially. Talking to existing and potential customers provides a unique opportunity to learn what’s needed and what’s important. Performing market research helps define product requirements.

Communication is Key

Clear communication is key to the successful design and creation of new products. This is especially true when working with an external partner. Everyone should know what is expected and what’s going on.

Quality and Consistency

It doesn’t matter how well a company knows the needs of their consumers or how well they communicate these needs with their suppliers if they don’t have the processes in place to ensure the quality and consistency of each product produced.

Utilizing the help of an experienced contract manufacturer ensures the production of high quality products. Partnering with a CM early in the process helps improve design. The right contract manufacturer tests every component throughout the production process. This helps catch issues early, when they’re easier to fix.

Means Engineering provides a wide range of contract manufacturing services. Please contact us to learn how we can assist with New Product Introductions.

Is Outsourcing Right For You?

December 14, 2018 By meiadmin

Outsourcing is an excellent way to reduce production costs. However, it might not be the perfect solution for every business. Sometimes outsourcing works for certain circumstances and not others. Organizations must consider a number of factors before deciding whether outsourcing is the right choice for their business and/or situation.

Overhead Costs

It takes a lot of resources to produce products. You need the right space, people, equipment, tools, and machinery. Businesses need to consider whether the costs of acquiring these things makes sense for their current situation. Small or newer companies can benefit from outsourcing as they build up the capital needed to handle production in-house.

Companies looking to expand their offerings can also benefit from outsourcing. This allows them to test new markets without the additional expense or hassle involved with purchasing new machinery or locating and hiring experienced staff.

Outsourcing allows organizations to produce a wide range of high quality products using the very best equipment and technology. It also provides access to experienced and knowledgeable individuals. Contract manufacturers often have years of experience working with numerous industries.

You Find it Difficult to Manage Periods of High Demand

Some companies find that they only need to outsource to fill periods of high demand. A contract manufacturer can help ensure that your customers receive their products on-time, without putting additional burden on your staff. This is one of the top reasons companies utilize the help of contract manufacturers.

Lack of New Ideas

In order to stay competitive, companies must continuously develop new ideas. Organizations that are finding it difficult to come up with new ideas might benefit from a fresh perspective. Contract manufacturers assist with all parts of production from design to testing. They know what works and what does not.

Your Company is Better Equipped to Distribute and Sell Your Products

Many companies find that they put more focus on marketing and distribution than they do on creating the actual product. Some organizations simply do not want to deal with the hassle of managing the complexity of the manufacturing process.

Outsourcing allows you to eliminate the costs and hassles involved with production so that you can focus on selling your product. This can significantly improve your marketing, increasing your company’s reputation and the chance of success.

New Product Development – Learning From Your Customers

April 20, 2018 By meiadmin

New Product Development – Learning From Your Customers

New product development is important for the continued success of businesses of all shapes and sizes. New products expand a company’s reach and allow them to move into new markets. When done right, new product development increases brand recognition and trust, while improving sales.

When it comes to new product development, it’s important that companies look towards their customers for advice. These customers can provide the most relevant information about existing products and what might sell better in the future.

Customer Feedback

Customer feedback provides valuable data that can be used for new product development. Listening to what your customers have to say about your product, gives you insight into their unique needs and goals.

User feedback puts you in the best possible position to create new products that meet the needs of consumers. Paying attention to customer feedback allows you to locate problems with existing products and figure out your customer’s goals.

Many start-ups and new businesses make frequent product changes. As your business grows, these changes are no longer cost-effective. It’s important to fully test all changes before making them a part of your product.

Beta Testing

Just because changes make sense internally does not mean that they will make sense to users. Beta testing provides a wealth of information about both your products and your customers. It also helps determine what changes work and which ones do not.

While a product might perform exceptionally well in one market, it might not get the same results in another. Always test new products before launching in new markets.

There are numerous ways to approach new product development. Before proceeding, you will need to decide which methods make the most sense to your organization.

Contract Manufacturing in Carlsbad, CA

New products are only as good as the effort you take to ensure their quality. A qualified contract manufacturer can help your company design, produce, and test a variety of new products. This increases quality and helps you locate areas that could benefit from improvement. Choosing a reliable partner is an important first step.

Developing an Effective Process for New Product Development

March 3, 2018 By meiadmin

Developing an Effective Process for New Product Development

New product development is crucial to success in an ever-changing marketplace. New products help businesses reach new clients, expand into new markets and increase trust in their brand. Unfortunately, many companies have difficulty with new product development. These companies are either too optimistic or too aggressive.

With technology constantly evolving, the advantages of new electronic devices are often short lived. Companies wishing to stay afloat must constantly develop new ideas and innovations.

In order to create an effective process for new product development, you need to consider your people, products and process. These factors are crucial to success, even if you outsource your new product development to a contract manufacturer.

Team Members

When it comes to your team, it’s important to determine exactly which team members will be responsible for making important decisions. In order to figure out your team members’ roles, you need to thoroughly evaluate the skills and attitudes of each team member.

Every successful team includes people that are willing to attempt new things and make tough decisions. Each person on your team should have a specific job to do based on his or her individual strengths.

New Product

When deciding whether to add to your existing product line or to take a new direction, you’ll need to take a close look at what works and what does not. Evaluate your portfolio for patterns relating to member satisfaction and ROI.

The Process

You’ll need to develop an efficient process for product approval. It’s also crucial to determine exactly how you’ll measure the success of new products.

Outsourcing New Product Development

Many small businesses have a difficult time with new product development. These companies often do not have the space, people, technology or equipment necessary to produce new products. Small businesses can enlist the help of a contract manufacturer.

An experienced contract manufacturer is able to help with the design, production and testing of new products. They provide valuable expertise to help you locate areas to cut costs and make production more efficient. This helps small businesses keep up with ever-changing technologies.