Until recently, there’s been a huge chasm in product development between design/engineering and manufacturing. Business leaders have thrown tons of resources into that black hole, only to find their products couldn’t be produced as designed without major compromises to quality or untenable cost updates.
How did this happen? There are lots of contributing factors. Inexperienced designers with no understanding of engineering or manufacturing. Engineers making arbitrary decisions with little regard for the product strategy or the user experience. Manufacturers that are interested only in their margins. The process is chaotic and contentious by nature. Add in personalities, agendas, and distractions and it’s easy for organizations to lose sight of their goals.
Only strong leadership and a holistic approach can close these gaps and ensure the strategic vision is realized in the final product. IDM is built to do that. We bring disciplines together, embrace conflict, and advocate for the right solution—not simply the expedient one.
