Have you ever wondered why so many new products that hit the market fail almost as soon as they launch? It isn’t always a poor concept or design and it isn’t always about products that fail to deliver or are defective in some way. You can have the best product on the market but as in most things, timing is everything.
If you are currently designing a product of any kind, here are some of the ways in which time could affect the eventual success of your product and how you can use the time to ensure a successful launch.
From Concept to Market
One of the ways in which time can work against you is just how long it takes to get a working product from concept to delivery. Often a product is developed because there is a need which isn’t currently being met but if it takes overly long from concept to market, there may no longer be a need. Perhaps some other company stepped up faster than you were able to and cornered the market or perhaps the need was met in some other way. Remember, technology is advancing rapidly and that is why it is imperative that literally every process is handled, and here we have that critical element again, time.
Don’t Let Prototypes Slow You Down
Prototypes are a necessary step in the development of any new product but can often be the reason for failure as well. According to Chinese prototype manufacturers, rapiddirect.com, the turnaround for parts and machined prototypes should be expected within days, not weeks. Their rapid prototyping services can offer low volume manufacturing in as short a time period as 24-hours so that you can test your product to be resent for another round of low volume production or send it off to the final stage of manufacturing for the market. China prototype manufacturing from Rapid Direct delivers on their promises and has grown to become one of the largest enterprises of its type in all of China, and thus, on a global level. A manufacturing prototype is a necessary step in the development of any new product line but as you will see, rapid development is critical.
Disruption of Markets Due to Current Events
Another way in which time can influence the launch of a new product is when current events cause a rapid decline in markets, as was the case when the bottom dropped out of global markets in 2008. Consumer and business confidence rapidly declined so that many new products in production at that time were doomed to failure. Had prototyping services been a little faster, those products just may have had a successful launch, even if short-lived. A sizable enough profit margin may have been realized to offset any costs in development with enough to sustain during the downturn of the market, which took a couple of years to right itself once again.
Consumer Demand
There have been many products developed because consumer demand wasn’t being met but the time from concept to delivery was too prolonged. It took so long from concept to delivery that there was no longer enough demand to realize any kind of profit. Had the delivery been a little faster, that product may have beat the competition to the market. As it was, the demand was already being met and the competition cornered the market by hitting hard and heavy with advertising. Sometimes it was a case of waiting overly long for that initial prototype and that’s why rapid prototyping China services from Rapid Direct could help you get your product launched in time to meet demand before being met elsewhere.
When Time Is on Your Side
Although it may sound like circa 1960s Rolling Stones tune, you also can be singing “Time Is on My Side” if you take advantage of the critical time element in product design and development. Remember that you can fall prey to such elements as current events as in the market crash mentioned above or simply be a victim of too little too late. Whether the competition beats you to market or the market has moved on to bigger and better things as the result of rapidly advancing technology, it is imperative to remember that you need to keep time on your side, again, especially during prototyping.
However, it is also imperative that you don’t let quality suffer in the process of trying to do too much too soon, the exact opposite of too little too late. Keep a healthy balance of rapid development with quality assurance and you can be assured of a successful launch. The key is going to be time and timing, so work with prototyping services that keep good on promises of rapid machining and every other process will fall into step nicely.
