Product Design The Design Process Project Management
This Design Process has served us well. Adhering to this format gives clarity to the customer. When using our our product design services, our intial task is to understand the customer's requirement communicating the design intent as best as possible. Upon this understanding, a Product Design Specifiaction (PDS) is completed with intial costing. Even though this document is effectively the design project's bible, sometimes it has to change because of research further down the design process which impacts cost, lead times, complexity etc. which are undersirable.
Obviously, there is scope to modify the precise details of the process or PDS - it's totally dependent on the project and the type of product in hand. No two product development cycles are the same, but generically speaking, this process enables the customer to understand:
- the individaul stages of the design process.
- the progress in relation to it.
- the iterative design loops required to achieve a final design.
- a clear and transparent indication of costs incurred and implied.
Design by it's nature is iterative, and can only be achieved using an an interactive, customer focused approach. This means that the customer is kept;
- fully appraised as the project progresses.
- in control of ALL decisions required by supply of quality information.
- in control of ALL work (costs and external suppliers) required.
- in control of ALL costs incurred and implied (future costs are dictated by design solution).
We will only ever do what is asked of us, always giving control to the customer enabling us to meet your
- budget
- timescales and leadtimes
This is our deifinition of a quality service where the customer is always in control, which gives the customer what they actaully want to achieve.