9 Reasons to use an electronics design consultancy
Electronics design consultancies provide companies with a soundboard to check the real detail of a product’s design. They boost your confidence in your product’s quality as well as mapping out plans to streamline your New Product Development process.
Here are 9 reasons why companies turn to electronic design consultants.
- Resource boosts
Do you have a design team at your fingertips? You may even have a large department dedicated to product development. But chances are they’re spread thin. Then a new project lands and needs your attention now. You can’t let down your existing customers!
There’s limited time to achieve what you want to achieve. A big client has provided a golden opportunity (or a new technology has gripped you) but the engineer’s calendars are all booked up.
By going to an electronics design consultancy you’ll find that they can act as an extra employee. This means you can build up a working relationship that works for you. You don’t have to commit to a long term relationship. You can let the project run its course and know that extra resource is always there if you need it again.
Of course if you’re a start-up or small SME an extra resource is equally valuable.
- Expert knowledge
You’ll gain access to engineers with many year’s experience with different engineering specialisms. These companies specialise in electronic design so their focus is more selective in this tricky area. As an entrepreneur you can gain access to a vast range of knowledge as and when you require it during the product development process.
- Domain experience
It’s imperative you understand the sector your product is going into. The good news is you can emphasise with the end user, after all, that’s how you came up with your product idea in the first place.
But grasping the complexities of compliance and testing for edge cases can swamp you, leading to lengthy unnecessary testing or a rushed launch which skipped a major step.
Electronics engineers are well versed in checking technical documents, making sure your product absolutely delivers on what you promised. They can look deeper at extremes such as testing hot and cold environments in an environmental chamber or spotting bugs at an early stage so you can impress investors later down the line.
- Proof of concept
If you ask your team or close group of advocates if your product will work they’re bound to look at the positives of your great idea. Whilst praise from those close to you is wonderful it’s even more rewarding when a specialist in design tells you it’s going to work! Design agencies offer feasibility tests and an essential second opinion. If there’s a problem they have many innovative ways to fix them so you aren’t left in limbo.
- Reliable partners
Consultants are usually established businesses. They are highly unlikely to complete a project and disappear. They have their own rules so they aren’t bound by agencies or other employer’s contracts. This means when you need them next you can easily get hold of them. They’re also likely to have testimonials to hand so you can check out their reputation before using them.
- Test early on
They often offer expertise throughout the entire product development process meaning you can bring them on board at the earliest opportunity to test the electronics at a timely stage. This leads to a far higher quality in prototypes, a better product candidate and more successful kickstarter campaigns.
- Planning ahead with design reviews
Design reviews give you a clear pathway in your project. They help you reduce costs per unit, protect against obsolescence and give you a better understanding of funding you may need to raise to complete the testing process.
- Expand the lifecycle of existing products
Older components can be switched out or products tweaked to expand their lifecycle. This means you can keep cash cows on the market for longer and use these as a revenue stream to invest in future technologies.
- Prevent delayed product launches
They can help you with First Mover Advantage. It may sound counterproductive to put more tests in place but design consultants can help you detect which tests need doing and which to leave out. They can make sure there are no costly reworks leading to delays in your product launch.
How to reach an electronics design consultancy
You can find many consultancies across the country. We ourselves specialise in this area. Ignys Ltd is built on recruiting only the best engineers and a real focus on the pain points in the new product development process. Speak to us today to discuss what’s bothering you and let us talk it through with you.