Putting a strong supply chain in place is critical to product success and profitability. Having the right strategy, partners and processes can help you streamline product cycles, and manage fluctuating demand and diverse regulatory requirements.
PRG’s customer is a rapidly growing U.S.-based company that serves the workplace safety industry. Their patented platform uses wearable sensors, analytics and machine learning, to provide companies with valuable workforce insights, helping to improve safety and productivity. The company wanted to develop a product that could proactively prevent workplace accidents and had come up with a prototype but not the design or a strategy for full-scale manufacturing.
To be prepared for volume manufacturing, they needed a comprehensive plan. This roadmap had to include multiple components, such as building a product development schedule, Bill of Materials (BOM) costing, and commercialization risk management. The customer also needed to implement a product lifecycle management (PLM) system to optimize control of their product records across diverse geographies.
While these measures were extensive, they were necessary to create the baseline systems and knowledge required to establish a reliable supply chain. The company selected PRG to guide them with their full-scale manufacturing plan as well as help them with their supply chain strategy. Their supply chain requirements included alternative geographic sourcing options and being provided with a short list of suppliers that were specifically chosen for their strong track record and requalification audits. They chose an APAC-based supplier outside of China, making their decision based on a stable, tariff resistant supply of components and labor.
Leveraging PRG’s supply chain network saved 60 to 90 days over the traditional supplier selection process and was a huge driver behind accelerating the product’s time-to-market. Additionally, through the commercialization assessment and action plan, the customer was able to gain additional funding and achieve their overall business and product objectives.
