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How To: Successful Product Change – 3 Tips for Product Change Management

December 6 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Product Design, Product Development, Program Management  |  Comment

Joe Donoghue, San Diego Prototyping, Patents & Prototypes, Live Web Show, Product Development, Engineering Services, Manufacturing, Entrepreneurial Product DevelopmentChange is sometimes the enemy of an efficient and cost effective product development process. While change is inevitable and necessary at times, minimizing unnecessary product change is important to keep the project on schedule and within budget while continuing to meet all the product specifications. There are three true and tried methods that, if implemented in a product development process, will result in a highly effective product change management process.

Communicate the Program Objectives to the Team

Product development can be summarized as a balancing act between the competing constraints of product cost, scope, and schedule. Thousands of decisions are made while a product is under development and the end result is typically a sub-optimal result of these decisions. Since optimization is impossible, it is necessary to prioritize the objectives of the project in order to ensure success. Without prioritization, the individuals working on programs will be pulled in opposing directions and will be continually redirected during the project, resulting in failure. Proper prioritization of product cost, scope, and schedule will result in successful change management.

The three objectives of a program are product cost, product scope, and program schedule.

Product Cost refers to the many financial metrics, including total budget, cost of goods sold, gross margins, or any other financial metrics used on the project.

Product Scope refers to the product features that will be designed into in the final product.

Program Schedule refers to the amount of time available to complete the project.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to change one of these objectives without affecting the others. The cost, scope, and schedule each act as constraints and therefore movement of one affects the others. Hence, to properly communicate the program objectives, a product development team should:

  1. Determine which of the three program objectives is the most important. This chosen objective will be the first program priority that must be constrained and cannot change under any circumstance.
  2. Choose one of the two remaining program objectives that can change but must be held within a range. The second priority should be thought of as an objective that can be modified but should always be kept as close to the goal as possible.
  3. The outcome of the last program objectives will be accepted as is.

Some hard tradeoffs need to be made when prioritizing the program cost, scope, and schedule. By performing this exercise and communicating the priorities, the product development team will be given very clear objectives that allow the members to make their own decisions on the necessity of change knowing the overall program priorities.

The management of these three constraints is sometimes referred to as the project management triangle.

Two of three input factors must be prioritized


The video was produced by J Scott Christianson at http://thefreerangetechnologist.com/ – He has a lot of great project management tips and information on his site.
Product Defects and Issues Drive Change

The product development team should work with the premise that product change is driven only by product defects and issues. The defects can be technical issues or issues raised by anybody on the cross-functional product development team. The technical issues found from the mechanical, electrical, software, firmware, manufacturing, or production teams are obviously product defects that need to be reviewed. Issues from other members of the cross-functional product development team such as marketing, sales, advertising, finance, or field sales need to be considered also. For example, if a new product was introduced in the market with very similar features to your team’s product, then it would be wise to raise a product issue to modify or improve some of the features to differentiate the product. If the product cost was too high and cost was a high priority for the program, it would be necessary to change the product design to minimize the cost. Defects and issues from all the cross-functional members of a product development team can influence change.

Defects and issues can be managed by a complex Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system or a simple spreadsheet. Either way, it is important to document the root cause of the defect, proposed solution of the defect, method of solution verification, and implementation of the solution for completeness and traceability of the defect.

Establish Change Rules

The final method of ensuring a successful product change management solution is to establish rules of changes. If and when a product change is made depends on both the severity of the defect as well as when the defect is found in the product development lifecycle. Product defect severity can be broken down into four categories:

  • Low: Very limited customer impact.
  • Medium: Moderate customer impact.
  • Serious: High customer impact.
  • Critical: Safety or regulatory issue.

The program manager of the product meets with the cross-functional product development team to review each documented issues and defects. As a team, they categorize the defects as either low, medium, serious, or critical. Once the defects are categorized, the team must decide if a change should be made to the product to resolve the issue. The team should have rules in place that determine when the changes should be made depending on where the product lies in the product development lifecycle. Here are some rules of thumb on approving and allowing product changes to take place:

  1. Critical defects should always drive an immediate change and the production line should be shut down if the product is in production.
  2. Serious defects should be fixed as soon as feasible and rolled into prototype testing or production.
  3. Medium severity defects should drive changes the early stages of the product development lifecycle but should not be resolved during production.
  4. Low severity defects should only be fixed in the early prototyping phases and should be ignored in all later stages of the lifecycle.

If the product development team has a rigorous defect review process and change rules, then only necessary changes will result from the product change management system.

Need more information on product change or product development in general? Please contact us with any questions or contact me directly at joseph.donoghue ( at ) leardon.com

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What is a Production Prototype?

September 27 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Prototyping  |  Comment

Joe Donoghue, San Diego Prototyping, Patents & Prototypes, Live Web Show, Product Development, Engineering Services, Manufacturing, Entrepreneurial Product DevelopmentIf you are reading this post, you probably understand the basics of prototyping early in the product development lifecycle. In past posts on prototyping, we have discussed the Proof-of-Concept Prototype and the Design Prototype (also referred to as the Form/Fit/Function Prototype) as the first two phases of prototypes in world-class product development. Let’s define these two prototypes again as a refresher:

Proof-of-Concept Prototype: First phase of a product prototype that bears little resemblance to the final product but is used to validate of the idea and prove feasibility. A Proof-of-Concept Prototype is also used for obtaining intellectual property and to show to investors for raising money.

Design Prototype: Second phase of a product prototype that has the functional and aesthetic properties of the final product and is produced using quick fabrication methods. A design prototype is used to work out the final design and manufacturing details and to receive feedback from distributors, buyers, and retailers.

Note that these first two prototype stages are meant to prepare the product for production but that no production tooling or final products using the final manufacturing processes have been built or qualified. The picture below shows the proof-of-concept (POC) and design prototype for the Emada Cigar Clip, a product that is used by golfers and boat enthusiasts to hold their cigars. The POC prototype was constructed using an off-the-shelf plastic wire clip attached to a flat metal plate and an off-the-shelf magnet. The Design (Form/Fit/Function) Prototype was designed to the specifications required of the Emada and machined out of nylon to meet the functional and aesthetic requirements. These two prototypes were used to prove the concept, qualify the design, and verify it was acceptable for the existing market. This was required to prepare for the next phase of prototyping. The inventing blog Ideas Uploaded provides some other great examples of Proof-of-Concept Prototypes in the post How Inventors make Prototypes.

Emada Cigar Clip Proof of Concept and Design Prototypes

There is a third and final prototype stage that fills the gap between prototyping and full scale manufacturing. This is referred to as the Production Prototype.

Production Prototype: The third phase of prototype that is fabricated using the final production design and manufacturing methods. A Production Prototype is used to qualify manufacturing processes and to receive feedback from distributors, buyers, customers, and retailers.

The Production Prototype for the Emada Cigar Clip in different materials is shown below. Due to the expectations of large production volumes of this product, it was necessary to produce a two-cavity hardened steel tool for plastic injection molding. Once the tool was complete, the engineering team at Leardon Solutions approved the tool by performing first article inspection (FAI) and determining the process capability (Cpk) of the molding process. To determine the proper material to be used in the final product, three materials were molded including nylon, POM (polyoxymethylene), and PP (polypropylene). All three materials were tested but only the nylon was qualified as acceptable for use in the expected environment.

Emada Cigar Clip Production Prototypes

You might be wondering why you must build production prototypes if the production tools and assembly line are functioning. There is sufficient work required to qualify the product functionality and the manufacturing processes to prevent defective products from getting into the hands of customers. Performing the proper verification and validation with production protoypes will result in high quality products.

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Apt Innovations in BBC News Article

September 16 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Customer Profile  |  Comment

Leardon Solutions client Apt Innovations from Northern Ireland is portrayed in the BBC News article Cold winter inspires NI man’s pipe business. Leardon Solutions designed, engineered, prototyped, and qualified the Floe winterizing product for Apt Innovations and currently manufactures components for the product.

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Success Factors of a Product Inventor

September 15 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Program Management  |  1 Comment

There are many inventors in this world but unfortunately many of their inventions never see the light of day. Why is this? There must be some factors that determine if the inventor will create a successful company from the product idea or if the inventor will fail.

Leardon Solutions worked with Randy Hupp from EcoLeeser from the early days of his invention of a product that helps increase the chances of survival for released rockfish suffering from barotrauma. This invention named the RokLees is pictured below.

EcoLeeser RokLees manufactured by Leardon Solutions

Throughout the process of working with Randy, there were three success factors that contributed to the success of Randy’s invention and hence his company EcoLeeser.

(1) Proper prototyping and product testing: Even the best product ideas can fail if they are introduced to the market prematurely without the proper engineering and testing. Some inventors believe that the best way to develop their product is to go onto one of the outsourcing websites and hire an overseas company that makes similar products. Many times this leads to failure since product prototyping and qualification do not occur. Skipping the prototyping phases will definitely limit the ability to succeed.

Randy understood that in order to be successful, he had to provide a quality product that simply did what it was meant to do and did it well. In order to achieve this quality, multiple rounds of prototypes were necessary. He knew that he had to build prototypes and test them in the hands of actual customers. First, Randy built a Proof-of-Concept Prototype that proved his idea actually functioned properly. While this prototype wasn’t pretty or refined, it proved that his idea was feasible. Next Randy worked with Leardon Solutions to develop a Form/Fit/Function Prototype that not only functioned properly but also met his cosmetic and aesthetic goals. Randy was able to test this product in actual fishing conditions and fine-tuned the design to meet his needs. As Randy started production, he had a design that he knew would function properly across all operating conditions.

(2) Develop a trusted network of suppliers and professionals: Many inventors are worried that their product idea will be stolen if they discuss the invention with potential suppliers and professional service companies. As such, the worried inventor will try to do everything themselves, ranging from the engineering, prototyping, intellectual property, business planning, marketing, and website development. Fortunately for the inventor, most service companies are more interested in helping the inventors than in stealing their idea. The sooner the inventor realizes that there are trusted companies that can help them, the sooner they will be successful.

Randy new his limitations and began to develop a trusted network of suppliers that could help get his product developed and his company formed. Since Randy was new to the world of product development, he hired Leardon Solutions to perform the prototyping, product qualification, and manufacturing. Randy also understood that he had no knowledge in the areas of intellectual property and therefore hired Intercontinental IP to develop his intellectual property filings. These two professional services companies were only a small part of the trusted network that was developed throughout the process of creating the RokLees and EcoLeeser.

(3) Proper use of intellectual property: If an inventor is actually going to move forward and create a company around their product invention, it is important to protect their intellectual property. Many inventors feel that filing provisional patents, utility patents, design patents, or trademarks are a waste of money. When the intellectual property isn’t filed, what happens after the company invests time and money to develop a market for their product only to find that another company is selling a very similar product? All that effort developing the market has gone to waste and this other company can easily leverage the market development work already done. Intellectual property is a critical way to prevent this situation.

Randy filed a provisional patent application which provided patent pending protection for one year and two trademark applications, both of which have been approved by United States Patent and Trademark Office and are in the “publication” phase. As the expiration date for the provisional patent approaches, Randy will need to decide if it is important to file a utility patent in order to extend his invention protection. This will depend on the success of the RokLees product in the marketplace.

In summary, inventors with good product ideas should implement these three simple success factors into their operations to improve their changes of success.

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Alexis McCollom talks about developing the EquiStix product

September 2 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Customer Profile  |  Comment

Alexis McCollom, owner of Equus Athletics a woman-owned company in North San Diego County, discussed the process of developing the innovative EquiStix product with Debra Simpson on the North San Diego County Business radio show. Equus Athletics creates innovative products for both the horse and the rider. The EquiStix is a cost-effective deep-tissue massage tool for horses that allows owners to perform warmup and recovery massage and was designed, prototyped, and manufactured by Leardon Solutions.

EquiStix flexible massage tool by Equus Athletics

EquiStix horse massage tool by Equus Athletics

 

 

 

 

There are three success factors that Alexis describes:

  1. Product Differentiation: Alexis made sure that her product had feature differentiation from other products in this market. The EquiStix product helps recovery of horse muscles by conforming to the contour of the horse during use.
  2. Effective Prototyping: Alexis worked with Leardon Solutions to create two prototypes.  A Proof-of-Concept Prototype allowed Alexis to evaluate and tune the funtion of the handles and flexibility.  A functional and cosmetically correct Design Prototype was designed and fabricated so that Alexis could get customer feedback and validate her design.
  3. Time to Market: Equus Athletics took one year from product idea to receipt of inventory. This fast time to market allowed Equus Athletics to quickly start receiving revenue.

Please listen to the interview with Alexis in the player below or go directly to Meet Alexis McCollom, Owner of Equus Athletics.

Listen to internet radio with N San Diego Business on Blog Talk Radio

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Form, Fit, and Function Prototype

July 18 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Prototyping  |  3 Comments

The last prototyping post titled Why a Proof-of-Concept Prototype? reviewed the reasons for designing, fabricating, and testing a Proof-of-Concept Prototype of your innovative product idea. If you followed this advice, you now have shown that your concept functions properly and there is a feasible technical path to develop your product. With this accomplished, what should you do next?

Leardon Solutions Form Fit Function Prototype

Intubation Design Prototype by Leardon Solutions

Leardon Solutions designs, engineers, prototypes, and manufactures products for the medical devices and diagnostic, health and lifestyle, commercial, consumer electronics, and active sports industries. Every project, no matter how simple or complex, follows the rigorous Leardon Solutions Product Development Lifecycle.  This ensures that all the program objectives and project requirements are satisfied. The third phase of this lifecycle, referred to as the Design Prototype Phase, requires the completion of a prototype that meets the form, fit, and functionality requirments.

You might be asking yourself “What is the difference between this so-called Design Prototype and the Proof-of-Concept prototype mentioned in the last blog posting?” The Proof-of-Concept Prototype was developed in order to prove that the product idea was technically feasible and functioned as expected. There was no work done to make the prototype look aesthetically pleasing or to meet any of the human factors (feel) or industrial design (look) requirements. This next stage of prototype requires that the functional requirements are implemented into an engineered prototype that is looks, feels, and operates the same as the final product. The only difference between this prototype and the final manufactured product is that this Design Prototype is fabricated utilizes low-volume prototyping techniques.

A Design Prototype requires more engineering and design skill than required for the Proof-of-Concept Prototype. The reason for this is the fact that the prototype needs to look and feel like the final product. Therefore, the engineer designing the prototype must have some knowledge of the final production methods so that it can be designed with the intention of using these fabrication methods when finally going into production. The engineer also needs to generate the proper engineering documentation such as 3D models, 2D drawings, and electrical schematics so that the manufacturer can properly fabricate the parts to the proper engineering specifications. While it isn’t absolutely necessary, it is recommended to hire a design engineer during this prototype phase.

The Design Prototype usually requires more manufacturing and fabrication skill than what was used to produce the Proof-of-Concept Prototype. This is due to the fact that this prototype is fully integrated with all the proper features. This integration usually results in more complex parts which are more difficult to fabricate using prototype methods. Due to schedule and financial constraints, this prototype will not be fabricated using high-volume production techniques such as injection molding or progressive die metal stamping. Instead, the prototype will be made of parts that are fabricated with low-volume prototype techniques such as machining, resin molding, laser cut metal parts, and quick turn printed circuit boards.

Leardon Solutions Form Fit Function Prototype for APT Innovations

Apt Innovations Floe Design Prototype by Leardon Solutions

Once this prototype is complete, there are many important uses for this prototype, all of which are equally important. First, since this Design Prototype was made to have the look, feel, and function of the final product, this is an excellent prototype to show to potential investors for raising money. A functioning and aesthetically pleasing prototype will have a much better impact in an investor presentation than showing a business plan.

Even though this prototype will look as if the product is complete and ready for manufacturing, there is still a long way to go before reaching the production stage. The second use of this prototype is for working out the design and manufacturing details. As the prototype is assembled and operated, important feedback will be gathered which will be fed forward into the future design revisions.

A third use for this Design Prototype is as a tool in getting valuable feedback from customers. Prepare a set of questions for target customers and let them use your prototype. This feedback is important to verify that your product satisfies the customer needs and will have commercial success when introduced.

Finally, this prototype will be very useful when pitching your product to potential distributors, buyers, and retailers. Since the product meets all the functional requirements and has the final look and feel, these meetings will be much more valuable as the intent of the product will be easy to communicate.

The Design Prototype is an necessary step in the development and commercialization of a product. The design and fabrication of this prototype will allow you to validate your customer segment, determine if the product has an acceptable look and feel to customers, and will prevent expensive production and manufacturing changes down the road.

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EcoLeeser introduces the RokLees rockfish release product

July 12 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Inventing Profit  |  Comments Off

Inventing Profit, a reality-based web series that shows the steps inventors with the entrepreneurial spirit take to get their product to market, announces the premiere of EcoLeeser on August 11, 2011 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the Agua Hedionda Discovery Center in Carlsbad, CA.  This show stars Randy Hupp from San Diego startup company EcoLeeser, maker of the RokLees rockfish descending device.The RokLees is a rockfish descending device that assists fishermen in the safe release and recompression of fish suffering from barotrauma.

 

Rockfish (Sebastes) and other species of fish have an internal buoyancy bladder that allows fish to adjust their depth. When fish are caught, they are rapidly brought to the surface and do not have adequate time to equalize their bladders. This rapid air bladder expansion, which can cause death, is known as barotrauma and creates external symptoms such as bulging eyes and pushed out esophagus. When the fish are released using the RokLees, the chances of survival are increased when otherwise they would float away on the surface and eventually die.   This inexpensive, conservation-minded, and easy to use product will help preserve and increase the stock of fish for future generations to enjoy.
 

Inventing Profit is a collaboration between Leardon Solutions, Intercontinental IP, Ecosse Business Group, Syndicating Your Content, and North County Legal and is directed and produced by Pixelscope Productions. EcoLeeser was assisted in its creation by Inventing Profit who provided legal, prototype development, business advice, and manufacturing services. The premiere show is scheduled for August 11, 2011 between 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the Agua Hedionda Discovery Center in Carlsbad, CA. Please come and listen to Randy talk about how he commercialized his first invention and watch the premiere of Inventing Profit with EcoLeeser. Please hit the REGISTER button below to reserve a free ticket for the premiere.

 

Register for Inventing Profit with EcoLeeser in Carlsbad, CA on Eventbrite

 

SCHEDULE:
5:30pm – 6:30pm: Networking hour. Food provided by Inventing Profit.
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Premier showing of Inventing Profit with EcoLeeser

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Inventing Profit with EcoLeeser

June 24 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Inventing Profit  |  Comment

Leardon Solutions customer EcoLeeser was profiled on the North San Diego Business talk radio show. Randy Hupp, inventor of the RokLees product and founder of EcoLeeser, discussed his experience working with Joe Donoghue from Leardon Solutions, Eric Hanscom from Intercontinental IP, and Alex Robertson from Ecosse Business Group to develop a business around his product idea as part of a web-based TV show called Inventing Profit filmed by Pixelscope Productions. The RokLees product helps fisherman release unwanted fish at the right depth to increases their chances of survival from Barotrauma. The radio show can be heard by clicking on the play icon below.

Listen to internet radio with N San Diego Business on Blog Talk Radio

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Why a Proof-of-Concept Prototype?

June 21 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Prototyping  |  11 Comments

You have a great product idea.  What should you do next?

If you are an inventor or an entrepreneur, you have probably come up with some great product ideas. When these ideas were conceived, you probably envisioned the thousands of people who would buy the revolutionary product. Your second thought might have been to ask yourself “What do I do now to take this idea to the next step?”

Leardon Solutions Proof-of-Concept Prototype
Endotracheal Tube Translation Prototype by Leardon Solutions

The team at Leardon Solutions has designed, engineered, prototyped, and manufactured products in the medical devices and diagnostic, health and lifestyle, commercial, consumer electronics, and active sports industries.  Regardless of the product complexity, one of the first things that Leardon Solutions does is to prove that the product idea is technically feasible. It isn’t always necessary to hire an engineering or prototyping company to create your Proof-of-Concept Prototype. Depending on the complexity of the product idea, a Proof-of-Concept Prototype can sometimes be constructed by a handy person, assuming that they have a good understanding of the required function. Also, complex engineering drawings and designs are not always needed since the Proof-of-Concept Prototype can sometimes be made using off-the-shelf components from the local hardware store. For products that are more technically challenging and require engineering skill, you can work with companies such as Leardon Solutions to develop your Proof-of-Concept Prototype.

Leardon Solutions Proof-of-Concept Prototype for APT Innovations

Apt Innovations Floe Prototype by Leardon Solutions

If your product idea is conceptually and technically simple or complex, Leardon Solutions finds it important to create a Proof-of-Concept Prototype for many reasons. First, as the name implies, the Proof-of-Concept Prototype allows you to validate to yourself that the idea actually works and functions as envisioned. This first prototype does not need to be pretty. Normally, it does not bear any resemblance to your final product since the goal is to only prove it functions and not to prove that it looks nice.

The second use of the Proof-of-Concept Prototype is to act as an aid in obtaining intellectual property such as a patent. It is extremely important that you have the ability to concisely explain your product idea to an intellectual property attorney. The Proof-of-Concept Prototype can help you explain how your product functions while also providing a functioning model that the attorney can use to seek out additional patent claims that might not have been found without the Proof-of-Concept Prototype.

The final use of the Proof-of-Concept Prototype is as a show-and-tell device. Potential investors or patent licensees will typically ask you to show them how your product works. If two investment seekers enter a room, one with a business plan presentation and another with a Proof-of-Concept Prototype, the investor’s eyes will gravitate toward the show-and-tell product demonstration. The prototype adds validity not only to the product but also to you as a business person.

Don’t underestimate the important of a Proof-of-Concept Prototype and don’t try to cut corners by skipping the Proof-of-Concept stage and moving forward without having proven to yourself and others that your idea is technically feasible.

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Leardon Solutions helps Equus Athletics bring the EquiStix to market

June 2 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Customer Profile  |  Comment

Leardon Solutions has designed, prototyped, and manufactured the EquiStix, an innovative equine massage tool, for Equus Athletics. The EquiStix will be debuted at the Western States Horse Expo at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, California, June 10-12.

EquiStix product by Equus AthleticsEquiStix horse massage product

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