While the phases are followed in order, there’s also a lot of back and forth – each stage of the process impacts, and is impacted by, the next one. For example, discoveries in testing and pre-production can prompt a return to the design stage. As the product progresses through each stage of NPI, the costs of changes and fixes rise. Most importantly, issues uncovered in pre-production (or worse, in manufacturing) are the costliest, as late-stage fixes waste significant time and materials.

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In this passage, we are will provide you all the information about new product introduction in PCB manufacturing. If you are searching for more knowledge about new product introduction in PCB, please check and read the content below.

What’s New Product Introduction (NPI)?

NPI, short form for New Product Introduction, means those activities that introduce a new or improved product. It includes the definition, layout, development, prototyping and even the launch of a product. The product doesn’t have any limitations – it can be anything.

It aims to get a final working prototype that can help one to get a faster market. People also call it NPD, short for New Product Development.

Here, the engineer’s work is to keep drafting new concepts for their product until the final prototype is ready, including any required design alterations.

What are the benefits of New Product Introduction?

NPI is proving to be an incredible way of producing successful products, and electronics contract manufacturing and assembly services are including it to improve the products. Some of the benefits of NPI implementation comprises:

Reduced Development Costs

As the electronic contract manufacturers consider the product’s design and its issues before the production, it enables cost reductions. There will be no additional costs of alterations, design changes, or tests if it all gets taken into consideration earlier.

Efficient production process

The electronics contract manufacturing services make sure to adopt DFM and DFA (Design for manufacturability and Design for Assembly) for the NPI. It makes the production process more efficient. It enables them to produce high-quality products properly.

Market capabilities acceleration

Usually, competition can be noticed for the marketing of products. If the electronics contract manufacturers cannot fulfill the consumers’ demands (fast delivery of the products), marketing errors may occur. Since NPI makes sure not to give rise to any manufacturing issues, it is possible to deliver the outputs faster, accelerating marketing capabilities.

Better product quality

In NPI, the proper design of a product is always considered to produce better outputs. Thus, it helps in increasing the overall quality of a product, which can be pretty beneficial.

Increased customer satisfaction

In NPI, the performance and functionality of a product are adequately tested, and the electronics contract manufacturers make sure to run everything smoothly. It helps in a better performing product’s production. As the functionality is better, customer satisfaction will improve as well.

What is the process of New Product Introduction?

In general, regardless of the industry, NPI typically follows a six-stage process:

Ideation – Identify the challenge or need and explore ideas for the solution.

Definition – Define the product concept and requirements, evaluate potential market size and revenues, analyze feasibility

Design – Create a detailed design and a bill of materials

Testing – Build prototypes, test overall functionality and evaluate strengths and weaknesses

Pre-production – Confirm that the product as designed can be manufactured on the production line at the required quality.

Volume manufacturing – Produce sellable products and refine manufacturing to improve yield