Starting any type of business is a big deal, and every decision you make has the ability to impact how everything else is done. Choosing the wrong suppliers, the incorrect business entity, and even down the wrong-sized paper clips – it all has a knock-on effect.
Perhaps one of the most important ones to do in your early stages – ahead of releasing your product is prototyping. While there are a lot of options for those who are creating prototypes for cosmetics, there are fewer truly high-quality ones for machinery and metals.
So, how do you choose the right prototyping service?
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Bills of Materials
You’ll be keeping a keen eye on the materials used for the prototypes – because what works here might not work for the real item. What type of prototype do you need? Metal? Polymer? How customized will it be? The bill of material can be considered the recipe for your prototype.
Cost
The cost will be a big factor; however, it shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Some prototype manufacturers will have a higher cost, but not necessarily give a better service. While others will be cheap for a reason. It’s a good idea to check through everything and compare them with others in your company.
You will need to decide if you are more comfortable with a charge per order or an hourly rate. Get a cost breakdown, and make sure you are aware of any extras.
Work for – or partnership
There are a couple of ways that you can work together, but suffice it to say working as a partnership is better than viewing the prototyping company as a company that works for you. To get the best from the prototyping company, accept that you probably aren’t as well-versed as they are, and you’ll need hand-holding for a little while.
Go into this long-term working relationship like a partnership.
Flexibility
Businesses turn on a dime, and you need to be able to move with your industry – to do that, your suppliers will need to be able to do the same. It is a good idea to have a conversation about how flexible your potential prototype company is.
Are last-minute orders possible? Are there more costs attached? How can they accommodate your business growth too?
Have a conversation about how you see the future of your business and what flexibility you may need.
Capacity
While you might want to work with a local company and even have a relationship with them – there are times when smaller companies will not be able to grow with you. Look for prototyping companies that are invested in new technology and modern solutions and have a framework in place to support scaling and growth. Look for companies that offer a range of different services, too, like www.cheetahprecision.com, so that you have the opportunity to expand should you want to.
Capacity also covers high-volume, rapid prototyping and minimal delays. Anything that is outsourced needs to stick to your business’s timelines. So make sure that your chosen company has the capacity to work with you.
Services
As mentioned above, one of the things that you should be looking for is a manufacturing company that can offer more than just one service. Find out what kinds of prototyping services and manufacturing services they provide.
You also need to be aware of the finishing choices they offer. A specialized business will have cutting-edge tools like a CNC suite, vacuum casting, and 3D printing if you choose it.
It can be good for you to talk to them about what they have planned for their future, too – it can be possible that you can scale together.
Experience
This one can be tricky because unless you have been working in your industry for a long time – you will be looking to your chosen company for guidance and advice on a lot of things. The right provider for you will be able to talk you through the process from top to bottom, as well as give you their opinion on the best materials.
You’ll be able to get reviews online, where other businesses will talk about their experience with your potential new partner. Read them carefully, and keep in mind that people are more likely to leave a bad review than a good one.
Selecting the right prototyping manufacturers doesn’t need to be difficult; always keep in mind that your reputation will be tied to how high-quality they are.
If reputation is on your mind, here are tips for you: Improving your business’s reputation: Some top tips to help you | Dimple Times.
Photo by Xi Wang