So, you have a great idea that you want to take forward. You develop this idea and make a working prototype. You may think you’re near the finish line, now that your proof of concept works and you’ve shown the value of your invention with some trials.
Unfortunately, that is not quite the whole picture. There are some important steps before you can see your product on the shelves.
In fast-moving consumer goods or consumer packaged goods, the design for X process (DFX) largely focuses on reducing costs, either directly or indirectly. The lower the cost of goods sold (COGS) figure, the more competitive you can potentially be in the marketplace. Design for cost (DFC) can also have a compounding effect: by representing better value for money than your competitors, you can take a larger market share and further amplify the effects of volumes of scale – with negative consequences for the competition.
Another potentially challenging stage is compliance. Often avoided until the end of the project, compliance can quickly turn into a hurdle. Have you heard the phrase ‘its absence always disappoints, but its presence never delights’? Whether true or not, surely the notion of disappointing your customers is motivation enough. Regardless of this, compliance is a legal requirement in most of the world and needs to be taken into consideration.
The productisation journey can be surprisingly long, as it consists of so many stages, from early prototypes through alpha and beta testing, with design optimisations and compliance to be considered along the way. There are ways to make the journey smoother, however, and these mostly come down to careful planning and consideration.