Electronics Design

The world is an uncertain place, so it makes sense to be prepared for the unexpected. Having basic management plans (such as Obsolescence Management) in place enables your organisation to deal effectively with a threat to your product, no matter what direction it might come from. As an experienced electronic manufacturing firm, we have seen our share of crises over the years. Drawing on what we’ve learned, we’ve put together a handy checklist that provides essential pointers regarding how best to respond when a crisis looms.

Have your obsolescence management plan alternatives ready

If you’re relying on a limited number of companies to source your obsolescence parts, a glitch in the supply process could cause all sorts of problems. Ensuring you have back up suppliers ready to swing into action if needed is important for your obsolescence plan to work smoothly, no matter what’s happening in the world.

Communicate with your suppliers

The more you’re able to tell your suppliers what demand is likely to be for their parts, the easier it is for them to meet your needs. Similarly, if suppliers suspect there may be a problem with their ability to maintain supply for whatever reason, early warning helps you come up with alternatives. Hetech pro-actively keeps stock levels high, enabling us to cope with fluctuating customer demand smoothly. By communicating regularly, the chances of supply and demand matching are far higher.

Forecast product requirements

The more notice you can give your suppliers of the volume required and the deadlines you’re looking at, the easier it is for them to make sure that your order is ready to go on time. Particularly when you have a long-standing arrangement with a supplier, they will often be able to have your stock set aside months (or even years) before you need it. In the event of a crisis, this can really help.

Support local businesses

Using Australian businesses to meet your needs makes economic and ethical sense. When you use an Australian supplier, you can be confident of receiving high-quality goods that offer excellent value.

Get in touch to find out more about Hetech and what we can offer.

When it comes to developing actual physical products electronics engineers have two options: Proof of Concept and Prototyping. But what is the difference between the two stages and which one is most appropriate for your stage in the design lifecycle?

In this blog, we are going to explore the difference between the two concepts because while they are similar there are key differences between them which you need to understand if your final design is to be successful.

What is Proof of Concept?

When designing and developing new electronics products, it is a good idea to validate your initial ideas with a physical device.

Proof of Concept is an early-stage physical product which is used to test the feasibility and demonstrate the functionality of your design. Proof of Concept devices are usually constructed using off-the-shelf components and development kits to keep costs down and speed up development.

Proof of Concept designs are also useful for forecasting the cost of manufacturing. Often product designers add functionality which is not strictly necessary but significantly adds to the cost of the product. A Proof of Concept can help designers focus on the functionality which is needed and remove everything else.

Finally, Proof of Concept can also be used to create a minimum viable product to showcase your product to investors. Entrepreneurs are more likely to get funding for a new product if they can show a physical device to potential investors.

What is Prototyping?

Prototypes are constructed later in the development cycle, usually, after the schematics and PCB design have been completed. A prototype should be based on the final “real-world” product and allow end-users to carry out extensive field testing of the device.

The prototype stage is one of the most important in the product design lifecycle. Prototypes should be used to uncover any problems which were not predicted during the design and feasibility stage. This ensures all issues are corrected before going into full production greatly increasing reliability out in the field.

Get in touch

If you would like more information about Hetech’s electronics design and prototyping solutions, get in touch with us using the contact form here or give our team a call on +61 (0)7 3297 9700 to discuss your project further.