Article by Jay Feldis

In the fast-paced world of technology and manufacturing, one of the biggest challenges hardware companies face is managing New Product Introduction (NPI) processes. A common misconception is that simply applying an Agile template used in software production to hardware production will solve all problems, but without thoughtful consideration, it’s a recipe for disaster. Whether it’s waiting weeks for a crucial part, revising designs after production has started, or dealing with field failures, these common pitfalls can lead to big delays, increased costs, and, ultimately, unhappy customers. This blog will dive into some of these common challenges, offering insight and strategies to avoid getting caught in a never-ending cycle of fixing and delaying.

In the world of hardware new product introduction, a broken process can have severe consequences, jeopardizing the success of a product launch and hurting the reputation of a company. So, it is crucial to understand the warning signs that a process is disfunctional. Whether it’s slipping schedules, exceeding budgets, or missing requirements, recognizing the signs allows teams to intervene in time.

Learn the ten warning signs and understand the potential impacts they can have on your product launch. By familiarizing yourself with these signs, you can take proactive measures to address them before they escalate into more significant problems.

In an increasingly competitive market, the need to bring superior products to market swiftly, cost-effectively, and with minimal risk is paramount. This article presents a summary of the top ten best practices for managing risk in hardware development.

Read on to gain insights into navigating the maze of financial, operational, and market challenges that accompany hardware development. Based upon over 100 years of collective experience with hardware development, the Product Realization Group has distilled these insights from real-world experience. Learn how to reduce risk in your New Product Development and Introduction (NPDI) process and bring better products to market faster, at lower cost, and with less risk.

By Wayne Miller and Michael Keer

Reduce Risk and Prepare for the Unexpected

In today’s global economy, supply chain disruptions are inevitable. Companies must proactively plan for resilience and adaptability, whether due to geopolitical tensions, tariffs, component shortages, or factory challenges.

Product Realization Group’s veteran hardware and operations experts Michael Keer, Founder and Managing Partner, and Wayne Miller, New Product Development and Introduction, shared their insights on mitigating supply chain risk, drawing from decades of experience in manufacturing, operations, and supplier management. Below, we outline seven key strategies to safeguard your supply chain and keep your production on track.

By Mike Freier

The Journey to Volume Manufacturing and Beyond: Scaling Your Hardware-based Product

In the span of our idea-to-scale series, we’ve navigated through the various phases of transforming a hardware-based product idea into a market-ready product. We’ve explored the crucial stages of design, planning, development, as well as controlled introduction. Now, we arrive at the pivotal point of Volume Manufacturing, where we will learn how it can be leveraged to increase efficiency, improve quality and lower costs to effectively scale your business. 

In this final segment, we turn our focus to scaling a resilient supply chain and revisiting key concepts from earlier segments. These include Contract Manufacturer (CM) selection, tooling and fixturing, communication, and business systems. We’ll also include additional insights into production forecasting, test, and logistics and repair, with a focus on quality, delivery and cost-effectiveness.