Each new product hitting the market has one thing in common: it started with an idea. From this notion, the company designed a pattern, developed a prototype (likely more than one), ran a field test (likely more than one), and when the product is finally up-to- par, it is mass-produced and commercialized for distribution. Sounds like common knowledge, right?
What about all the steps in between? Having worked with countless companies to develop contract sewn products, including consumer-facing and clinical-grade wearables, there are many overlooked considerations that need to be taken into account during this process in order to make sure you can make a profit off of your idea.
Behavioral Health, Interoperability and eConsent: Meeting the Demands of CMS Final Rule Compliance
In a webinar on April 16 at 1pm ET, Aneesh Chopra will moderate a discussion with executives from DocuSign, Velatura, and behavioral health providers on eConsent, health information exchange and compliance with the CMS Final Rule on interoperability.
Prototyping
Initial conceptualization of a product can be as simple as a rough sketch. This visual can help in the development of the real prototype, and can act as an aid while explaining the concept to a professional prototype design team. Prototyping can help with the decision making process and can eliminate issues or error ahead of time to cut down on costly prototype rounds using the actual materials.
It’s also important to decide whether or not you will prototype in-house, hire a design firm, or prototype through your manufacturing partner. Some contract manufacturers will be all encompassing in the product development process, and include a skilled design, sewing, and prototyping team. These manufacturers will be experienced in functional, consumer-focused design development.
If you are working with a manufacturer, it is often good to prototype with them, so they know the company’s product development strategy “inside and out” before mass production. Prototyping directly through a manufacturer not only ensures that your design is realistically designed for mass production, but also that it’s designed in a cost effective way for both you and the manufacturer. For example, working with an exterior design house that doesn’t have manufacturing knowledge could lead to a product design that will drive up costs and be time-consuming to manufacture. A contract manufacturer will be able to meet you halfway with changes that may need to be made to the design, and keep your design as close to your ideal as possible.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Field Testing
Field testing is the true test of the sewn prototype. It allows for not only a test of the products’ proficiency and durability, but also for user satisfaction. This is undoubtedly the most efficient way to find out about your product, and can determine whether or not you should move forward with production or go back to the drawing board for redesign. If a product is not field-tested, this could result in malfunctions and, in the worst case, refunds.
Tip: If you are developing a medical device or a wearable, your field tests may be clinical trials. Gathering data from more than one person could lead to changes in the product and help with development of more customizable components.
Another useful question to ask is whether your manufacturer is able to make both small and large production runs. Some contract manufacturers are able to run anywhere from a small run yielding 25 products (which is, in our opinion, an ideal field-testing size) up to mass production quantities, so we are able to work with companies through the field-testing phases and make our own suggestions based on our years of production experience. Some contract partners only produce on a mass scale, making the field-testing phase difficult.
Production
Once the product is field tested, performance optimized, and approved for mass production, it is time for the first mass-production run. This is where researching contract manufacturing partners is crucial. As a partner, we like to work with a business from conception to production, and are more than willing to meet their timelines (within reason) and aid in the development and improvement of the product. Staying with the same partner through this process helps you avoid having to explain the product to multiple production outlets, saving time (and money) for your company and production timeline. We are also able to dropship portions of the order at a time – say, sending 100 units of an order of 5,000 units while still in production.
Tip: It’s important to keep in mind that you need a place to store these products post production. Budget for a storage area or a fulfillment facility. If you are planning on ordering a run of 5,000 units, you will need the extra space. Some other things to budget for include packaging and shipping your product (mainly for e-commerce-focused businesses).
Your business is dependent on the successful and timely production of your product, as well as the performance of the product itself. Make sure you find someone easy to work with that follow these steps to assure the top quality and response to your device.
Photo: Jane 1/Getty Images
