Using a product development firm to get your product engineered can be an effective way to develop your item. However, you need to make sure you pick the right company for your product. The wrong company can end up wasting time and money, and most startups and companies will want to avoid hitting some of the pitfalls discussed below.
Should You Outsource Your Product Development Overseas?
The answer to this, is most of the time no.
Language barriers can pose a huge problem when you are trying to communicate abstract or precise details to an engineer who will already have difficulty understanding you. If the person designing your product moves forward based on a faulty assumption, having to go back and reverse those changes will cost time and money.
Sometimes if the error isn’t found until late in the design process, this can end up causing the whole project to be reworked.
Also, product design engineers will be most familiar with the requirements of the country they work in. This means that an American engineer will know more about the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards than say a Chinese or Japanese engineer, and vice versa, American engineers will generally be not as familiar with foreign requirements.
Having a firm work on a product that will be sold in a country they are not familiar with will likely mean they will have to spend more hours researching your product and how to make sure it is in compliance with the government agencies it will be used in, which will cost you more needlessly and can be avoided. The additional research can be quite extensive if your product must comply with more than one or even several government agencies.
There is also the fact that while China excels at mass producing products and infrastructure, their engineering schools are somewhat lacking in expertise, to the point where many Chinese students seeking to become engineers will study abroad.
Product Development Firms in the US
Most product development firms will end up charging you $100-$250 per hour on the job they are working to design for you. This means that you need to choose who you work with carefully, as the wrong company can end up costing you dearly. For some extra tips on how to select a product design company, see one of our latest blog posts on the topic.
Everyone knows that many mass produced products are cheaper from China and many other Asian countries than in the US. However, that difference jumps up exponentially when it comes to prototypes.
Prototype Quoting & Cost Realities
Recently, I went to get a quote from a prototyping firm in the U.S. on a client’s project. The cost was more than 8x higher than what our partners in China quoted for prototypes. Prototyping your product in the US can be a quick way to lose money you don’t have.
A Cost Effective, Quality Solution
At Global Trade Specialists, we strive to provide a product development option that is affordable without sacrificing quality. We don’t charge the premium rates other companies do, but still provide the expertise and communication skills needed to bring your product to life. Our engineering team can help you get your product designed and engineered in the U.S., and then we will help you get your designs prototyped so you can fully test your design.
After your designs are finalized, our experienced sourcing team can help you get your product sourced overseas safely and with the quality you want.