Design Philosophy
Our driving principle is that whether commercial or not-for-profit, all products must deliver Return On Investment(ROI), be it financial or otherwise. We are committed to maximising efficiency and minimising overheads on an ongoing basis.
Over a product lifecycle the following costs are incurred:
- Cost of Development
- Cost of Manufacture, Test & Distribution
- Cost of Marketing & Sales
- Cost of Support
- Cost of Disposal
The development phase must seek not only to minimise the component costs but also those of assembly, test & distribution. As always there is a balance – often it is essential to get a product to market quickly & cheaply, in which case a second stage to further reduce production costs may be appropriate.
Attention to size & weight can have a significant impact on shipping cost. Mechanical design & packaging must ensure that the product survives the rigours of transit. Well thought out product features will reduce marketing & sales overheads.
Cost of Support may persist after manufacture has ceased but effort put into making the operation intuitive will have a significant impact. Cost of Maintenance was excluded as for some products servicing & spares can be a profitable activity.
Until relatively recently cost of disposal was usually the responsibility of the customer but environmental concerns have led to legislation such as the EU Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive which has shifted much of the burden to the manufacturer.
Products do sell themselves occasionally (e.g. Tamagotchi ®) but these are the exceptions not the rule. At WareWorks we believe strongly that successful products come from addressing all aspects of the design process, including:
- Commercial
- Intellectual Property
- Electronics & Software
- Ergonomics & Enclosure
- Standards & Certification
- Packaging & Instructions
- Manufacture & Test