Just having an amazing new product is not enough to guarantee you success when it goes to market. There are so many legal obligations and regulations that product designers must take into consideration and failing to do so can lead to many issues down the line. It is a long journey from initial concepts through to final commercial release, and compliance plays an important role in every stage of the process.
Do you struggle with compliance issues for your new products? Is it a last minute rush to collect the necessary documentation for your products technical file, do you need support with gaining your products Declaration of Conformity? Do you know what your legal obligations are as a manufacturer and distributor of a product within the UK and the EU?
At 4D Products, we understand Product Compliance and how important it is to manufacturers to meet their legal obligations when distributing products in the UK and EU. Our team always design for compliance so as to avoid any last minute hiccups or delays.
Why Design for Compliance?
Designing for compliance and understanding your legal requirements during the development process can save you lots of time and enable you to pitch your product to your chosen market, safe in the knowledge that you have met your legal obligations. Most products come under some form of compliance requirement whether it be for CE marking, WEEE, RohS or general product safety.
By taking your compliance considerations into account right from the initial design stage, you can ensure your new product is ready to go. The majority of product recalls are caused by faulty designs, and a lot of products never even make it that far because they don’t meet the necessary legal requirements.
Designing for compliance means your product is sure to meet all obligations and be approved for release.
How To Design for Compliance?
The process of designing for compliance means your legal requirements are addressed from the very beginning. In order to achieve this, you must first know what your compliance obligations involve. Does your product require CE marking? Or are there general product safety standards that must be met? Start off by spending some time understanding what your obligations are, so you don’t come up against any surprises down the line.
When you begin working on your project plan and design requirements, keep feasibility and compliance at the forefront of your mind. Phase two of designing for compliance should include your design specifications, product prototypes and an initial traceability matrix. At this stage, you can start to understand how you can meet your legal obligations and what adaptations may need to be made from your concept prototype. Once you are happy with this development, you can look at testing protocols, design verification and product pilots. Here you will see how well your product can hold up in a real life environment and rigorous testing can unveil any underlying faults.
Finally, you will be left with a product design which has been perfected for both usability and compliance. Following a design for compliance process will not only ensure your idea is feasible and reliable but will mean it can be bought to market immediately, without any further amendments or issues.
Design For Compliance And 4D Products
The majority of new inventors or companies do not have the resources and time to properly design for compliance. It requires a lot of research and knowledge on current regulations and laws, which can sometimes be unclear or difficult to understand. The truth is, if you do not know all the compliance obligations for your products, you will never be able to design with these in mind.
At 4D Products, we are specialists in product design and compliance. Our team have worked on thousands of product developments and successfully bought many products to commercial release without a hitch.
Our team of experienced designers can advise you on the best course of action to take during your product development process to minimise delay and additional expense at the last minute of your project. We can work with you right from the initial idea concepts, through to final testing stages, to make sure your new product is fully compliant.
For your free confidential discussion to assess your technical product development requirements don’t hesitate to contact 4D Products.