Blog
Documenting a Product for Production — A Key to Quality
If a product fails to meet customer expectations (the definition of quality), then there are three possibility causes: The manufacturer failed to...
Planning for Reshoring Production
Are you thinking of reshoring? Not sure how to go about it. Here is a short list of things you should consider in your plan: ROI: Reshoring is an...
Conceptual Design Covers 90% of the Product Development Success
We have completed more than one thousand product development projects for more than 275 small companies. Often, we come in to “save” a project that...
From PROTOTYPE TO PRODUCTION
The prototype is all done and it seems to work well. Now, how do you get the prototype manufactured reliably and at a reasonable cost? If your team...
Tips for Doing Design Verification Testing
Design Verification Testing (DVT) is the decisive test ensuring that when the blueprints are meticulously followed, they result in a product that...
The True Cost of a Full-Time Engineer
I got a call from an engineering friend of mine. He just moved to a new city for a new job. He writes firmware for a small company. Reason for the...
The Most Expensive Mistake I Ever Made Was Hiring a Cheap Engineer
In the world of product development, small companies like FinishLinePDS are all too familiar with the financial constraints they often face. It's...
When to Shut Down that Product Development Project?
“The future ain’t what it used to be.” Yogi Berra Sometimes product development projects do not live up to their initial promise. Knowing when to...
The Amazing Product You Can Afford To Develop
Have you ever allowed your imagination to wander, pondering the incredible product you'd create if money were no object? Well, what if I told you...
Why Gantt Charts Do Not Work For Product Development
Recently I had a client give me an idea for a new product he had been thinking of and then ask me for a Gantt Chart (Gantt Charts illustrate the...
Prototype vs. MVP vs. PoC
Prototype, MVP (Minimally Viable Product) and PoC (Proof of Concept) often get lumped together as one thing. This is understandable because each is...
What To Do About Product Field Failures
Every company wants to sell a product that never fails. The reality is that even great companies have product failures. The difference between the...
What Every Contact Manufacturer Needs to Know About Product Development
In the landmark HBR article The Four Things a Service Business Must Get Right, by Frances X. Frei, the author contrasts a product business from a...
How to Conduct a Design Verification Test
Design Verification Testing (DVT) is the litmus test for ensuring that your meticulously crafted designs will yield a product that aligns seamlessly...
5 Design Verification Test Mistakes to Avoid
Design Verification Testing (DVT) is your safety net, ensuring that your product will meet its intended requirements if the design is meticulously...