Best Practices

One conclusion increasingly drawn from Toyota’s system is that many U.S. manufacturers have gone off track with their own development efforts. In fact, some of the processes they’ve adopted in the name of speed and quality have actually had the opposite effect.

A “million-dollar” idea?

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An inventor must have tenacity, stamina, and understand that nobody gets to the top alone

Planning your first engineering project

There’s more to engineering than convincing your boss why a particular design is best. You’ll generally need to sell the idea to other departments

Engineering when you don’t have a mentor

Few young engineers have someone to show them the ropes when the going gets tough. A low-pressure “dry run” can help navigate through difficult times later on

Nine tips OEMs can use to get the most out of suppliers

customizing parts can simplify R&D and production

The benefits of custom components

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Modifying off-the-shelf parts or customizing from scratch can simplify R&D and speed production.

How to effectively outsource new-product development

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Here are some tips for outsourcing product development and working with contract engineers.

Dealing with Change in Design Projects

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Changing a design in the middle of a project can raise costs. But not changing it can cost a lot more.

Tips for speeding up the patent process

Backshoring Gains Momentum as More U.S. Companies Bring Production Home

A recent survey shows 44% of North American participants have experienced significant supply-chain disruptions. As a result, more are repatriating work to the U.S. after initially outsourcing it to low-cost countries