Getting a working prototype and checking it for various factors such as form factor, performance, user-friendliness, etc., form the basis of getting to a final product. Various tests such as stress-testing, circuit redesign, end-user feedback, among others help to fine tune the minor niggles and get to a final product at the earliest.
The fastest way to move from the design and testing stage to the marketing stage is to ensure the manufacturers that are chosen to make the product are also the ones that build the prototype. This ensures that there are no discrepancies between the final approved prototype and the products that roll out of the assembly line. There are various reasons why this works. Here are two major ones:
Seamless transfer of information on design and product specifications:
Any product manufacturer and seller would know the importance of seamless information transfer between the designers, testers and the factory. Even missing out on a small detail can result in significant problems later on. Using the same factory to manufacture the prototype as well as the final products helps as the probability of information not being relayed properly is minimized. Since the factory has already manufactured the prototype, they know the various factors that have to be considered while manufacturing the final product, and take care of them without the need for additional follow-up from the company that is getting the product made from a third party factory.
Awareness of issues and resolutions reached for the same:
A prototype is not the final product and goes through a battery of tests and checks before it is approved for production. Having the same factory manufacture the prototypes and the final products means that the managers are fully aware of the problems that surfaced when the prototype was developed and tested. Consequently, they take steps to ensure all issues that surfaced during prototype testing are fully accounted for in the production methodologies and the factory floor people know what to do and what to avoid. These small process steps add up to a smooth assembly line where products are made in a continuous flow. This, in turn, results in better operational efficiencies.
China being the global leader in manufacturing, most of the products that are made in the world are manufactured by the hundreds of factories in the country. With their vast experience, these experts can fabricate just about any product people need. Their expertise also means that various multinationals and smaller companies have used them to make prototypes and get a great product. These have included a range of models from small chips to large automation manufacturing machines across the most diverse of industries from computers and mobile phones to deep-sea drilling and space exploration.
This vast experience has also meant that these Chinese players can work with any company from anywhere in the world and help them with their prototyping and product finalization. The additional fact that China prototype manufacturing is highly cost effective makes them a very smart choice for anyone looking for a factory that can design and even test their prototypes for them.