san diego county Archives - Page 4 of 14

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.

Trends Impacting Medical Device Manufacturing

July 12, 2019 By meiadmin

The medical device industry plays an important role in the lives of humans. Medical devices perform a number of functions designed to enhance and enrich the lives of the people that use them. Some devices even assist with lifesaving procedures. Regardless of how they are used, humans would be much worse off without these important devices.

Every year new trends emerge that impact the medical device industry. Medical device manufacturers have had to adjust to meet changes to rules and regulations and shifting economies.

Miniaturization

Medical devices get smaller each year. This trend isn’t going anywhere either. As the medical industry utilizes more laparoscopic and catheter-based technologies, medical device manufacturers will need to continue to improve functionality of these miniature devices.

Automation

As technology evolves, we’re seeing an increase of automation in the medical device manufacturing process. Manufacturing employees today must know how to operate the technology used to by computer-directed machinery.

Partnerships With U.S. Based Contract Manufacturers

The cost of manufacturing overseas is becoming more expensive. In fact, outsourcing costs can reach as high if not higher than keeping production in the United States. This is leading to an increase in partnerships with U.S. based contract manufacturers.

Quality Assurance

Partnering with an experienced contract manufacturer helps ensure the consistency and reliability of finished products. This is extremely important in the medical device industry as manufacturers of these important devices are under a lot of pressure to comply with strict rules and regulations. The right contract manufacturer will have quality assurance processes in place to determine consistent quality throughout every stage of production. This allows manufacturers to catch issues long before they cause a problem with the finished product. It also allows for continuous improvement.

Contract Manufacturing for the Medical Device Industry

Means Engineering provides a variety of contract manufacturing services. We have years of experience working with the medical device industry and understand the strict rules and regulations of the medical device industry. Our team works directly with you to design, produce, and test a wide range of products. Our services enable growth and improve the likelihood of repeat sales and referrals.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Contract Manufacturing Partnership

June 28, 2019 By meiadmin

Companies today are under a lot of pressure to reduce costs while meeting high demands for both quality and service. This is especially true for companies responsible for the creation of electronic devices. Outsourcing is one of the best ways to reduce production costs. A quality contract manufacturer can also help improve the quality of finished products. This increases customer satisfaction and the chance of repeat business and referrals.

Deciding to partner with a contract manufacturer is one of the smartest decisions a company can make. This partnership provides access to experts able to produce complex devices in less time and at a lower cost than possible with in-house production. This partnership allows companies to grow and expand into new markets. It also improves consumer opinion, increasing brand recognition and performance.

It’s important to take your time and do your research before selecting a contract manufacturer to work with. Once a quality contract manufacturer has been found, the following can help you get the most out of your contract manufacturing partnership.

Contract Agreements

Agreeing on a contract is an important first step in your partnership. The contract determines the milestones, requirements, and cost of your project. The goal is to create a mutually beneficial relationship between your company and the contract manufacturer. Make sure you understand the contract manufacturer’s limitations and that you clearly express your expectations.

Establish a Relationship

Building a meaningful relationship with your contract manufacturer ensures they’ll be there when you need them later down the line. The relationship between a company and a contract manufacturer is symbiotic; your success equals their success.

Establish Stringent Quality Parameters

One of the biggest benefits of working with a contract manufacturer is enhanced quality of the finished product and/or components. It’s important to establish stringent quality parameters from the start so that everyone is on the same page. For best results, look for a contract manufacturer that has quality assurance parameters similar to your own.

Means Engineering has years of experience providing a wide range of contract manufacturing services. We work directly with each of our clients to develop a long-lasting mutually beneficial relationship. Please contact us for more information about our services.

More Companies Using U.S. Contract Manufacturers Over Asian Firms

June 21, 2019 By meiadmin

Contract manufacturers produce products under the label or brand of the company that hires them. Businesses often enlist the help of a CM to fulfill orders in periods of high demand and to reduce costs and time to market.

Utilizing a contract manufacturer is an extremely smart business move. Businesses across a wide range of industries turn to contract manufacturers to help with the production of a wide range of products and components.

Until recently, companies frequently outsourced their manufacturing to Asia. However, labor rates in Asia have risen steeply over the past few years, causing manufacturing costs to rise. This has bridged the gap between Asian and American contract manufacturers. In fact, when you consider manufacturing costs, customs fees, shipping charges, duties, and other fees, producing products in Asia costs about the same as producing them in the United States.

Outsourcing Production to a U.S. Based Contract Manufacturer

When outsourcing production to another country, it can be difficult to know for sure what’s happening with your order. Communication problems are common due to time differences and language barriers. Shipping issues can delay the time it takes to receive products. Products traveling from Asian countries must pass customs and businesses must meet strict requirements before receiving their product. Costs can add up if additional paperwork is required. Delays can lead to expensive storage charges while problems get sorted out.

There are numerous benefits to partnering with a U.S. based contract manufacturer. When you work with an American firm like Means Engineering, you’ll always know the status of your order. You’ll also have intellectual property protection. American CMs operate under U.S. law which ensures compliance with labor laws. When you outsource the work to another country, you risk contracting a firm that uses unethical labor sources.

At Means Engineering, we provide clear communication throughout the entire process. We work directly with you from concept to completion to ensure you get exactly what you want when you want it.

Means Engineering provides a variety of contract manufacturing services. Please contact us for more information.

Using Contract Manufacturing to Grow Your Business

June 14, 2019 By meiadmin

New technologies have changed the way that people shop for products. More people purchase products online than ever before. The availability and ease of online shopping has made it possible for businesses to reach more clients in a shorter amount of time.

If you’ve considered selling your products online you’re not alone. Millions of companies have already began offering products through the Internet. In fact, if you don’t have a way for people to buy your products online, you’re already missing out on a lot of business.

Before offering your products online, you need to make sure you can keep up with demand. This can be difficult with the high cost of machinery, people, and supplies. Many businesses simply do not have the resources needed to produce products in house. This is where a contract manufacturer can help.

Contract Manufacturers Help Companies Reduce Costs and Time to Market

The right contract manufacturer can help your company produce more products in less time and at a much lower cost than producing products in house. This makes it possible to grow and expand your business through online sales without having to worry about the logistics of production.

In addition to a variety of production and design services, contract manufacturers can also help improve the overall quality of products produced. Contract manufacturers are experts in their field with years of experience creating a wide range of products. The right contract manufacturer will review your design plans to locate areas that could benefit from improvement. This might mean switching a type of material or adjusting a measurement. Generally, these changes help reduce the costs of production while improving overall quality of the finished product.

By working with a contract manufacturer, your business can produce enough products to fill even high periods of demand. This is important as you move to Internet sales, which increase your company’s visibility and the chance of sales. A contract manufacturer can help improve the quality of your products, increasing customer satisfaction and the likelihood of repeat sales.

Means Engineering offers contract manufacturing services to businesses across a wide range of industries. Please contact us for more information about our services.