Why OEMs Need EMS Providers to Launch Their Products Successfully
Imagine this: you’ve completed your market research, defined your customer expectations and preferences, and conceptual design has been validated. Your product is viable, and now it’s time to transform your concept into reality.
As an OEM, the challenge you face now is to get the product out in the market at the right time. You are aware of the threats of a market inflection, a new disruptive technology, or competitors starting a price war. All of this can render your product obsolete before it even hits the market.
OEMs are almost constantly facing the challenge of launching viable products quickly and efficiently. With the ever-decreasing product lifecycles and increasing global competition, the challenge for OEMs to successfully and timely launch their products is now a daunting one.
When it comes to launching a new product, you will be hard-pressed to find an OEM doing it all independently. Most OEMs recognize the importance of working with an EMS provider, and rightfully so. There are plenty of reasons OEMs need EMS providers to accomplish a successful product launch; let’s dive into some of the most important ones!
EMS Provider’s Role in Project Kickoff: Assessing Cost Constraints & Manufacturability
Not all OEMs engage an EMS provider in the first stage but doing so can be fruitful in several ways. OEMs can better understand cost constraints and product availability by engaging an EMS at this stage.
OEMs tend to focus too much on technical aspects during the design stage, and not enough thought is given to product availability once it hits the market. During this stage, OEMs working with an EMS partner can utilize their experience and knowledge of raw material availability to improve their product availability.
Furthermore, process design validation also requires selecting an EMS provider so you can maximize your product’s yields and improve manufacturability during the design phase.
EMS Provider’s Role in Product Development: Beginning Preliminary Documentation
Once the OEM has developed a viable concept, it’s time to turn it into reality. As the engineering team focuses on developing the technology into a marketable product, the EMS provider begins preliminary documentation.
Prototype Development: EMS Provider’s Full Engagement
Once the OEM enters the prototype development phase, the EMS provider should be fully involved and offer design feedback before the product enters the manufacturing stages.
This feedback should include early-stage validation on product design’s manufacturability, preliminary checking for DFMA, the preliminary baseline for repeatable process, and functional test development.
Pre-Production Stage: Synchronized OEM and EMS Provider
This stage requires EMS to prepare for full-scale production, including finalizing process documentation, quality control plans, functional test plans, and reviewing supply chain issues and production plans.
Successful Launch: Summarizing The OEM’s Need for an EMS Partner
If the OEM has kept the EMS provider engaged in these stages, they can expect a smooth transition to manufacturing. In short, selecting the right EMS provider at the right time can be the defining difference between a successful product launch and a chaotic nightmarish scenario.
A strong OEM and EMS provider partnering can help OEMs create and sustain a competitive advantage and successfully transform their product from concept into reality. OEMs looking for a capable EMS provider can reach out to Find an EMS.
At Find an EMS, we help OEMs connect with the right EMS partners who provide electronics design services, assembly services, and electronic contract manufacturing services. Please email us at info@findanems.com to learn more.