Staying Competitive with Product Development
Is In-house or Outsourcing of Simulation Resources best for your Company?
Staying competitive in today’s economy requires a finely tuned product development process, where high quality products can be designed and brought to market in a fast and cost-effective way. To do that organizations face three choices:
- physical prototyping
- in-house engineering simulation
- external simulation consulting services
At one time, physical prototyping was the only choice and is still the most predominant. However, it is expensive, prone to error and time-consuming. A much better solution is to utilize simulation technology as an integral part of the design process. The return on investment can be enormous, allowing for fewer prototype iterations, shorter time to market and opportunities to easily correct mistakes.
Before initiating simulation, careful consideration should be given to whether to perform this function in-house or to outsource. Below, we lay out some of the pros and cons to each approach.
In-house Simulation?
Every organization’s situation is unique but most have a natural tendency to keep product development in-house. Many firms purchase simulation software but then quickly realize the learning curve is not as simple as assumed, particularly if it is not being used on a regular basis. However, if you deal with multiple design problems on a regular basis – investing in staff, software, and training may be the way to go. Some of the positives of in-house simulation include:
- Completed simulation can be saved and repurposed increasing the ROI with future simulations.
- In-house engineers have a familiarity with their products.
- These in-house competencies can become a competitive advantage.
But before assuming this is the best approach for your team you may want to consider why many companies choose to outsource this process.
Outsourcing Simulation?
Using external consulting services might be a better option for your business than creating a whole team around in-house simulation. Here are some things to consider.
As today’s technology solutions become more sophisticated they also become more complex. Many companies find they lack the resources to solve all their design engineering problems in-house. This challenge makes seeking external support a viable consideration. Using external consultants whose focus, expertise, and in-depth industry expertise can move product design past what can be accomplished in-house and fully exploit what can be gained by simulation. Consider:
- Industry experts who understand simulation can provide unique insights.
- Their accumulated knowledge can spot potential errors early in the process.
- It offers a higher ROI than investing in software, training, and resources if such expertise is not always needed.
As we stated earlier every organization is unique, but simulation will be a must for all product design in the future. Without it you will put a company at a competitive disadvantage. The ability to identify flaws before prototyping, doing “what if” simulations, and comparing design variations, will result in more reliable products and reduce time-to-market.
TotalSim’s specialty is Computational Fluid Dynamics. We can assist companies no matter if you choose to do your simulation in-house or if you need a reliable outsourcing option. If you choose to conduct your simulation in-house, we can help improve your processes with an evaluation and create CAE automation around your current processes. Automation has the ability to reduce errors and speed up the process. If you choose to outsource your simulation, we have experienced, expert staff who will work with you to conduct the analysis you need in a timely manner.