Improving Design & Manufacturing Team Collaboration

Many electronics manufacturers tend to compartmentalize or silo their departments, such as designing team vs. assembly-related functions. Design directly affects them all, which means manufacturing costs are ultimately reflections of both the design and engineering methods used to create the products. The relationship between design and manufacturing can often be disconnected or otherwise poor, which stalls productivity and increases bottom-line costs. By identifying and addressing these gaps, this financial issue can be reduced and profitability increased. Profitability can grow even more when the design process is as streamlined as possible. Having a specific methodology of principles and steps, the design team can envision a quality product at a lower cost. In turn, this can help the manufacturing department be more efficient. A lack of communication and respect can lead to higher costs. If the absence of respect leads to the two departments demeaning each other’s work, the issue can involve much more. Not being confident in one another can lead to quality issues that later translate into reduced sales. When such conflicts occur, it’s best for management not to take sides. When finger-pointing, squabbles, and other disagreements come about, it’s time to resolve the underlying issues. While the design department is important to manufacturing and assembly, manufacturing and assembly are likewise vital for bringing the design to life and creating a viable, reliable product. Staying on the Same Page Not being on the same page can become costly down the line. Every team member needs to understand that everyone is working in the overall best interest of the company and that top performance from both teams is necessary, especially for the design team to understand the profound impact the designs have on the costs of manufacturing. Eliminating the need for revisions because each saves money. Using a collaborative approach among design, engineering, and manufacturing teams can produce valuable innovations. Designers learn to create products that use the least number of parts without sacrificing quality or functionality. The following are elements from product conception to incubation that will help streamline the process and increase profitability:

• Carefully define design requirements with the product team
• Develop specifications
• Gather market data and review this data with the department, so everyone is in the loop
• Select the proper technology to complete the design
• Determine the most cost-effective and efficient route to achieve the design
• Complete a working prototype

Once the prototype is perfected, it’s time to get the product ready to be mass-produced. This is done by evaluating the design to ensure it’s ready for flexible-volume production. Identifying potential assembly problems and eliminating them from the start saves time, which ultimately saves money. In the end, it’s all about streamlining the process from the very start. Departments must communicate, work together, and respect one another’s roles. The design team has a lot of pressure placed on it because it’s up to them to ensure the manufacturing process is structured around maximum efficiency. This keeps the manufacturing department running as smoothly as possible, while they, in turn, will become more confident in work completed by design. With that level of teamwork, you can drive down costs beyond the cost savings achieved in a methodical and well-thought-out design process. Backed by 40 Years of Expertise We contribute our 40 years of design and manufacturing expertise spanning multiple diverse markets. We look forward to discussing how we can deliver world-class products for OEMs across the globe. We understand our home Indian market, familiar with its vast regulatory and selling environments. We foster growth opportunities within India through our strong technology incubation ecosystem. We also assist global OEMs in entering the Indian market by leveraging the local supply chain and favorable operating environments for cost reductions. Our flagship Chennai location opened in 2006 and lies within a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for electronics manufacturing, offering economic incentives for imports and exports. This primary facility is within 90 minutes of the Chennai seaport and 20 minutes to the international airport. Additional road and rail connectivity links to the rest of India and beyond and infrastructure advantages with faster import and export clearances. We also have labor force flexibility, both technical and manual, to scale to demand rapidly. To learn more about this topic, please contact us.