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Specification (design) image
This time, we will show you how to decide specifications (or designs) when making products.
We, Kato trade Inc. call “specification fix” about the process to determine the specifications and/or designs of products based on careful discussion with clients before sample trial or production. We believe the process is very important.
Project set up
Project set up varies depending on clients.
For instance, “client has an idea to make private brand products from their company”, “ to make products by tie-up with influencers” and so on.
Alternatively, in some cases, it will lead to product planning by focusing on recent market needs or trends.
The followings are introductions to general flow for planning a product.
Refer to the needs and/or trends of the world
Needless to say, this is a way that takes inspiration from products that are popular in the world. Inspired by the products that are currently on sale, clients will have the product image or ideas from the needs and/or trends of the world as well as its design and functionality.
Refer to benchmark products
There are many cases that are carried out from marketing of products that are already on the market by other companies.
Clients will expand the product images from the products selected in the marketing, such as “This part of this product is very nice, but we want to change the design of other parts.”
The products selected as described above are called “benchmark products”. It is relatively common pattern for projects to run in this flow.
Refer to from existing products of the company
This is also similar to the benchmark product, but it is a pattern to make an improved version of their own product already sold.
In many cases, new projects are launched in order to create better products based on the experience of existing products and the opinions from customers.
summary of set up projects
A project for a new product is set up with the above patterns.
How to decide the specifications (design)
Then, we will see how to determine the specifications (design) actually.
Identifying clients’ requests
Kato trade Inc. will identify all the requests for the product clients want to make.
We will listen to clients’ requests carefully and make proposals based on its feasibility including the desired number of LOTs and the budget.
Of course, even if in the case of a production without no budgetary limitation, we need to confirm its feasibility for our factories.
As appropriate, we proceed this process with confirming the contents with both the client and the factory.
“Specification Fix” for first sample
Once the clients’ request and the factory side opinion have been roughly matched, we will fix the specifications of the first sample using design drawings.
Although this is still a sample, we will decide the specifications in earnest and move on to sample production.
Ideally, it will be produced as it is without any modification in this initial sample.
However, we would like to make products with the commitment of both clients and us. So in most cases, we will fine-tune the first sample, make the final specification (design) fix around the 2nd to 3rd samples, and proceed to production.
Summary of specification fix
As mentioned above, there are many processes before the final specification Fix, which can be more complicated.
However, by working on OEM and ODM production with pride on both sides, really good products will be created.
Summary
So far, we have explained about from product planning and launch to specification (design) Fix.
Please contact Kato Trade Inc. if you are a company (even an individual!) who wants to make a new product by referring to this article.
OEM, ODM production by Kato trade Inc.
Kato trade Inc. makes full use of our know-how to support OEM and ODM production for many companies.
The author himself learns about OEM and ODM from 0, and is involved in the progress of the project through careful discussions with clients every day.
If you are a company or individual who wants to make your own brand products, please contact Kato trade Inc.
In the future in this blog, we will write the information about OEM and ODM based on the projects we were actually involved in.
Please continue to enjoy!