We have been involved in projects in the medical sector where the customer has an idea for a completely new product. There were no competitors, and there were no ready-made requirements, operating models or boundary conditions. In other words, while the product was being developed, the entire framework was also being built around it.

Product development always starts with a plan and defining requirements, but reality becomes more precise along the way. When developing something truly new, you have to be prepared for changes from the start. A model that is too tightly locked in can easily lead to delays, increased costs and compromises in the end result.

Ideally, you can define all the project phases and product requirements at the beginning, but in practice many things change as the project progresses. It is good to be aware that changes are possible and it is good to prepare for them at the beginning. If you try to implement new ideas by relying too much on formulas, you will end up with delays, budget overruns and perhaps a product with too many compromises due to the schedule, resource shortages or increased costs.

In an example project, the customer had an idea for a medical product that did not already exist on the market. Since there were no competitors, there was also no clarity about the prevailing requirements in the product category. The situation is exciting because it was possible to actually create something new, but marketing is also challenging because the need for the product has to be justified to each customer.

The initial ideas were very different from the product that was finally achieved after many twists and turns. The project would have been easier if we had not been creating a completely new product area and some of the frameworks had already been created. Now we had to create the frameworks ourselves.

We understood from the beginning that it was worth doing rough prototypes and testing with very rough models. Product development also included research, so the project was larger than usual.

The construction of prototypes and test models is significantly faster when you can transfer your own sketches to your own workshop for work immediately. In addition, modifications to the prototype can be carried out immediately in your own premises or in those of a trusted partner network, and you don’t have to look at the clock or the day of the week.

After a few experiments, the device’s operating principle, usability and connections to the rest of the hospital world began to take shape. This is where the actual product development began with design, mechanical, electronic and software design. It is very important to have partners with whom you speak the same language from the beginning and, with years of experience, you know what input data each party needs.

Monitoring the progress of tasks in a project is very important. It is equally important to take care of costs in both the project and the product being developed. Experience helps to choose the right manufacturing methods, which are affected by, for example, the production volumes of the device, the target group of the product and many other factors. Weekly project meetings and open communication help the project to run on schedule.

The design phase determines the majority of the product’s manufacturing costs. That is why it is very important to know the differences, disadvantages and usability of different manufacturing methods for the product being designed. Feedback on manufacturing already during the design phase is extremely important. That is why Liski Group has a good network with almost all manufacturing method operators.

Testing and product verification are a very integral part of the product development project. In medical devices, product verification and post-verification validation are familiar issues also at the documentation level. The old saying “What is not documented does not exist” is very true.

The customer does not have to be a product development professional. We are, and our customers benefit from this in the form of efficiently managed projects and cost-effective products.

A clear goal and a controlled project lead to a functional outcome.

Contact us and we will make a free preliminary needs assessment of your project.

Kimmo Liski