Hardware Product Realization in the Age of AI

Chapter 7: Preparing for Agile Hardware Implementation Part 1, Ten things to look out for.

In the previous chapter, we discussed how to prepare your organization to have the strong foundational principles needed to fully utilize agile hardware product development.

This chapter sets you on the path towards being ready for agile hardware product development.

As we mentioned in the previous two episodes, hardware companies need to establish strong foundational principles before applying the best practices of agile hardware product realization. These best practices will be covered in a later episode, but before getting to them, it is worth considering the following set of warning signs to look out for in your current processes and methodologies. Comprehending these as they relate to your current working practices will help you to focus on those elements which can negatively impact your hardware developments.

These warning signs are some of strongest indicators of trouble:

1. Slipping the schedule: Delays in any steps of the development often stem from unclear requirements, lack or misallocation of resources, budget constraints, feature creep, and/or changing requirements.
2. Exceeding the budget: This results from underestimating costs associated with the NPDI process and is often combined with a slipping schedule.
3. Exceeding your product cost target: This is often caused by underestimating costs associated with the product. Aspects such as production test, volume materials pricing, packaging, and labeling are often overlooked.
4. Missing requirements and/or feature creep: When the product requirements are not clearly defined, the definition of the product during the development process will “creep,” which helps to create the previous warning signs.
5. Lack of critical resources and/or rapid team growth: Common in well-funded startups, where talent can’t be hired fast enough or hiring outpaces the ability to onboard and integrate new team members effectively.
6. Breakdown in communications: Often resulting from rapid team growth, cultural misalignment, and unrealistic expectations.
7. Customer “beta” test failures: Common when development schedules are squeezed and verification plans are incomplete. This often means a product redesign and further delays.
8. Low manufacturing yields: Found when ramping volume manufacturing and usually caused by design- issues and a rushed product realization process.
9. Excessive engineering change orders: Indicative of a weak development process that has not fully incorporated product requirements into the design or that validation testing was incomplete.
10. A high number of field failures and product returns: The most damaging sign of all, as field failures erode customer trust and brand reputation. These returns usually indicate deep flaws in both development and validation.

If you can identify with or are experiencing a few of these, you should take proactive mitigation steps as soon as possible. If you see more than five, then your product and business are likely at serious risk. 

Join us next time to learn how your marketing department has a role in defining the product you should take to market. 

Sources: Extracts from the completely revised book Agile Hardware Product Realization (version 4.0)  by Michael Keer and David Eden.