PD Bottlenecks Impacting Your 2017 Launch Plans? Tips for Successful Management of Outsourced Engineering

As product development ramps up in the medical device industry, many companies are considering ways to increase PD capacity in order to meet aggressive and exciting goals; utilizing outsourced product development can be a great solution, with a little smart management. Here are the top four tips we at Engineering & Quality Solutions, Inc. have found ensure success between you and your design firm. These tips hold true whether you’re outsourcing a full project from start to finish or getting outside help with certain portions of the project.

1) Select resources with experience and skill that match your project

For medical device companies, engaging a PD resource who knows the industry is critical. Medical device projects require different considerations such as raw material specs, cleaning & sterilization, testing, submission considerations, design history file creation and FDA regulations. Make sure your design partner understands these requirements in order to avoid delays and design revisions due to missed requirements.

2) Start with detailed project plans with inputs and outputs

Creating a complete project plan gives everyone a road map of where they’re going and why. A good design firm will ask for this and will even help you fill in the gaps if necessary. The project plan will keep development on track and on time and help manage course changes that might occur during the development process.

3) Define clear roles and points of contact in both directions

The last thing any project needs is missed tasks and duplicated efforts. If the roles are clear, then resources both internal and external will work on the right items at the right times. And whenever questions or issues arise, team members will know whom to contact to get a timely resolution. It’s critical that your outsourced engineering partner understands the importance of focused efforts and defined roles.

4) Get regular project updates with progress reports

Even if things are going exactly as planned, it’s important to know your project status which will enable the entire team to concentrate on critical tasks. A competent design firm will keep you in the loop with regular project updates of both successes and challenges, without being prompted.

The professionals at Engineering & Quality Solutions, Inc. have been on both sides of this partnership – as the device company who is utilizing outsourced engineering and as the consulting firm supporting client projects. So, we understand the project dynamics and we are dedicated to your development project success! We will ensure that the project plan is clearly defined, that proper device requirements are met, and that the project stays on track, while always keeping the clients updated. Our goal is to help you meet yours.