NPD: Breaking through the noise

Noise, it is all around us, right? Some of it good, like the birds singing outside the windows of our houses, bungalows, flats and offices. Other noise can be annoying, especially if it is unwanted, such as a loud radio or music being playing by someone else close by. There are of course other examples of noise and interference in general communication, but this blog is going to focus on how we engineers deal with it.

Upon taking on a new design and development project whether it be a short or long term contract, there is naturally a lot of technical information to digest. Initially there will be some time spent discussing where a project has reached, if there are any issues which need resolving, what needs to be achieved and by when, etc. The amount of people involved will depend upon the size of the client’s organisation and how complex the product is which is to be designed and manufactured. It is during this time that the amount of data, communication noise and shear pressure to move a project forward can be tempting for anyone to rush into forming assumptions and making decisions, but in our experience anything less than a considered approach is simply not worth taking.

Unpopular as it may sometimes be, until we have immersed ourselves into a project and understood where and how the client has got to this stage, we cannot and probably will not provide our best independent design engineering consultancy advice and guidance. In our twenty plus years of operating, we have resolved that noise does not necessarily equal productivity. Neither does activity, particularly if it has been rushed into and takes you down a path which you needn’t have taken. Once we have broken through all the noise and found out the ‘why’ then, and only then, can we gently but firmly, move forward to help you succeed with the continued development of your product or invention.