R&D takes up a significant portion of your time as a business owner. The last thing you want to do is miss something big or small and let it affect the outcome. Mistakes can impact your company until they are fixed, which can take years if you’re unaware they exist.
As a result, figuring out what to do after the research and development stages can be tougher than you might imagine. You’ve spent so long covering every base that you never thought about the next steps. With that in mind, here are four things you should consider once R&D is over.
Making A Prototype
Don’t let the blueprints mislead you. Just because everything seems to be fine on paper doesn’t mean it will be okay in real life. There is a massive shift from the plans to the final product, which is why investing in a prototype is essential. When it’s done, you can get a feel for what works and what doesn’t work.
It’s amazing how much you’ll learn from having a miniature version of the product in your hands. Even the things you can’t describe will show up when your subconscious throws up red flags.
Amend The Errors
You’ll be very lucky if there are no errors with your prototype. The whole process is to evaluate how you can make the idea better for your customers, so a few problems should pop up. Hopefully, they’ll only be cosmetic. Regardless, it’s imperative to fix them as quickly as possible to ensure they don’t escalate out of control. Otherwise, you run the risk of consumers not noticing the flaws, and they aren’t that daft.
Before you go live, yep you guessed it – you need another prototype of the prototype!
Find An Outsourcer
The next phase is to get the idea into production pronto. Unfortunately, you’re not a manufacturing expert with years of experience, and neither do you have the equipment to take on the project. Instead, you require an outsourcer that will complete the task to the specified designs and charge a relatively low fee.
The likes of Laser Light provide contract manufacturing solutions because they understand that businesses can’t do it themselves. As always, the key is to shop around for a good deal and analyse customer reviews. That way, you can tell what service is quality and trustworthy.
Start Shipping
Without shipping, customers will never get their orders. And if there are delays, it will reflect poorly on the brand. The last thing you want is for the business to get off to a bad start, which is why the shipping process shouldn’t be underestimated. The good news is that it’s 2021, so the usual ways of working aren’t the only options.
For instance, you can opt for dropshipping, where third-parties bid for and fulfill orders, eliminating the need for lengthy contracts. Shopify has a thorough guide if you are searching for more inspiration.
