Product design and development: supplier evaluation

Product design and development is often outsourced to a contract manufacturer. In such instances, the sooner an OEM engages the contract manufacturer for product design and development services, the better off the OEM will likely be when the product being designed moves into the production and ramp-to-volume phases.

In instances where the contract manufacturer is chosen by the OEM for strategic reasons, the contract manufacturer will likely have experience designing and manufacturing similar products which will aid the OEM to minimize costly design iterations, help bring the OEM product to market sooner and add various other quality-related benefits to the contract manufacturing relationship.

Below is a sampling of the type of information, and capabilities, OEM executives might want to look for when considering a potential contract manufacturing partner(s) during the important evaluation process. The purpose in this instance is to inquire about the contract manufacturer's product design and development service capabilities.

Any questionnaire presented should cover as many of the product design and development aspects as possible to help OEM executives gain a full understanding of the contract manufacturer's tools, staffing experience, equipment and processes utilized with respect to, but not limited to, the following product design and development categories:

• hardware / electrical development
• PCB design & layout
• industrial / mechanical design
• system level design
• software / firmware development
• component engineering
• change notice process
• design validation and testing
• review technique process (DFx)
• quality & reliability assurance
• software tools
• compliance, safety and regulatory adherence

1. How many years of experience does the contract manufacturer have in designing and developing [product type]?

2. What target markets does the contract manufacturer design and build products for?

3. Where are their design facility locations? (included number of design personnel per facility)

4. Ask the contract manufacturer to discuss engineering staff turnover

• number of design engineers hired in the last 2 years
• number of design engineers who have left in the last 2 years

5. Ask for revealing any alliances the contract manufacturer has with production, fabrication, test facilities, etc.

• organization
• nature of alliance

6. Does the contract manufacture have design skill capability in the following disciplines? (This portion of the questionnaire should be as specific as possible based on product and industry-specific product requirements)

• Does the contract manufacture 'subcontract' design work? (If the answer to this question is yes, consider presenting a similar questionnaire to your contract manufacturer, for him to present to the subcontractor)

7. How many years has the contract manufacture been involved in design activities for the [particular industry]?

8. What are the contract manufacturer's core competencies in design and development?

9. Is there a minimum business level dollar volume expectation?

10. Is it required by the contract manufacturer that all design and development contracts must also commit to contract manufacturing?

    

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