Have you ever wondered what makes one vendor an absolutely terrific asset to your company and another vendor is just run-of-the-mill? Your vendor’s expertise in specific areas such as prototyping can be your insurance policy for new product success.
However, for this to work efficiently requires that communications be clear, well-thought-out and organized. I’m not talking about the part drawings or files. I’m talking about how well the expectations are communicated. Without precise marching orders for all the parties involved in a prototyping process, chances are something will get lost in the translation especially if you are getting your information filtered through several departments or vendors. It’s “possilbe” is translated into “can do, no problem,” or it can be interpreted as “very difficult” to do.
As the designer and specifier you want to be sure that you are talking to the people actually doing the work. Ask your vendor to bring the expert into the meeting so that you can be certain everyone understands what needs to get done. Make sure your prototype supplier asks lots of probing questions. The tougher the project the more likely he will seek clarification, and possibly offer up options that might prove the difference between success and failure.
We all know that as information gets passed from one vendor to another, by the time it gets to the third, fourth or fifth vendor, something invariably will get lost in translation. And the biggest loser in that situation is the customer, because no matter which way the fingers point his product either doesn’t perform to expectations or misses the production deadline.
It is always better when everyone can be in the same meeting and get the same information. Even if some of the members are on a speaker phone, it is better that they listen in on the critical discussion that will affect their function. But even so, nothing beats having the information spelled out in detail and copying everyone. And if changes need to be made to the design during the prototyping process, make sure the changes are detailed in writing for everyone involved. And by all means consult the experts before sending out change orders.
If your prototype supplier is truly skilled in his craft, he may be able to save everyone time, money and finger-pointing. After all, no one wants to be part of a failure. Rely on the experts, consult with them, bring them to the important meetings to ensure the success of your prototyping project.