PRODUCT BUILD PLANNING TEMPLATE

USE CASE: You will need multiple product builds prior to full production, and they will have different objectives.  You may need builds that are functional only (no cosmetics or skins) for design verification.  You may need builds for the purpose of evaluating newly tooled parts. You may need builds that represent the finished look of the product for trade shows that may not need to be functional.  Be efficient with your time, money and effort.

This Product Build Planning template is used for defining build objectives, manufacturing objectives, unit quantities, and other critical details. It can be useful during quoting to develop a robust plan for your build, and it can be a communication tool with your internal team as well as your contract manufacturer.

PRODUCT BUILD PLANNING TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS:

Copy the template below and customize to match your project.  You can combine or separate the manufacturing levels into different disciplines if preferred.  Change the naming and add/remove build columns to match your preferred nomenclature. Continue to update as project progresses.

As this document is refined over time and more detailed information is developed for each phase, links can be added to the template for greater versatility.

Feel free to delete the “explanation” column after setting up the table.

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DOWNLOAD: PRODUCT BUILD PLAN TEMPLATE

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WHAT IS A “BUILD”?

Examples:

• Engineering Confidence Builds (ECT) → These builds are used for design assessment, testing, UX evaluations, marketing, etc. and we recommend these are done prior to transfer to a CM if possible for maximum flexibility in efficiently updating the design to address issues found if done in-house at Simplexity, they are quick to set up and easy to repeat if design needs to be updated.
• Pre-Production Builds → These builds, executed at a CM, are small quantity builds used to exercise the build process and expose any set up issues that need to be corrected. The build quantity is kept small.
• Production Builds → These builds are scheduled per the product forecast.

 Not sure where to start or what you might need?

Contact us no matter where you are in the product development or new product lifecycle process. Our engineers will be happy to help you navigate any phase of bringing your innovation to production – from concept to new product introduction, from early development to transfer to manufacturing.