Integrating Testing and Certification Elevates Product Development

Myriad product standards have emerged around the globe over the past two decades, and there does not appear to be an end in sight to highly regulated product environments. As governments, associations, and NGOs around the world seek to protect consumers, national and regional standards are becoming mandatory, challenging manufacturers and making testing and certification necessary for any product developed and brought to market.

Most manufacturers enlist third-party testing and certification groups to confirm that their products meet minimum safety and performance protocols. Yet, collaboration with testing and certification parties should go beyond a simple, transactional certification process. Partnering with an independent testing organization and industry experts from product conception to disposal enables manufacturers to increase profitability, decrease time to market, reduce liability, and maximize value and brand recognition.

Traditional views of product development take a one-way approach from concept to market: generate an idea, establish a detailed design, gather materials and plan production, manufacture the product, test and certify, ship, build a brand, recycle/dispose. In this approach, testing and certification is one step of many and independent of the other junctures in the journey to bring a product to market. However, testing and certification can play an important role in a product's development from conception to the end of the product's life, offering valuable insights that can improve product development value-stream functions, metrics, and performance.

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Testing is designed to find design flaws, component failures, production- or assembly-induced errors, failures to meet market-entry requirements, and potential performance issues that are quite common. We continue to see a high rate of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test failure rates -- which can result in not just the nuisance of a lost signal but can impact medical or other important communication devices. We also see more stringent energy efficiency regulations and additional product categories that challenge manufacturers to redesign products or develop new ones that will not only meet the new requirements but also maintain safety. Incorporating the knowledge and processes of testing and certification can help identify and mitigate issues early on and be crucial to manufacturer success and market share.

Testing and certification can add value to every step of the product development process.

R&D/Product Design

Including experts with extensive safety and performance knowledge and experience can help identify concerns in the design stage. Codifying and disseminating design knowledge learned through years of testing allows identification of critical failure points, safety issues, and design flaws early on. Potential issues can be resolved sooner and at less cost for redesigns, planning adjustments, and material resourcing. In addition to saving money on the product's development, companies can save money in the long run through warranty reductions, improved product and process innovation, increased R&D productivity, and competitive advantages.

Sourcing

Testing can help identify strengths or weaknesses within components and materials used to create a product. This check-and-balance approach allows you to get feedback on the materials early, instead of getting bad news later, when the product itself is tested. The information is also vital for evaluating supplier performance on quality and regulatory compliance, negotiating vendor agreements, and improving procurement.

Manufacturing

Manufacturers may view testing and compliance as an obstacle that impacts lead times and the scheduling and management of assets, but streamlined, predictable testing and compliance processes can enable smooth production flow, provide real-time information for design engineers, and minimize defects and potential breakdowns. In addition, collaborating with testing experts will ensure everyone in the process is aware of the standards products need to meet and the regulations products will be measured against, which in turn can impact turnaround times.

Distribution

Enhancing testing turnaround times can get products into distribution channels on schedule and sooner than competitors. And, testing professionals can also help ensure that products are distributed in a safe, effective way. Being first to market dramatically increases sales windows and adds time to revenue streams. This can be accomplished by working with testing parties who have up-to-date knowledge about rules and regulations and have been a part of a product's development from the start.

Marketing/Branding

Certification marks can be a key component of getting your product to market, but including testing and certification in the product development process can give companies additional information into unique features and attributes that can help improve brand image and increase demand. A certification mark means a product has met the minimum safety requirements it must meet, but gathering additional information on a product's safety, performance, and general attributes can give you more to work with as you build your brand.

Lifecycle

Improved design, sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, shimming, and return/recycle usually means higher quality products that are safer, are returned less often, and encounter fewer liability or warranty issues. This leads to an increased lifecycle for a product, cutting costs, improving cash flow, and delivering more value.

Testing and certification, when embedded strategically into the product development process, can help elevate your organization to one that monitors, codifies, and shares testing feedback along the product value stream. This, in turn, impacts individual processes as well as the entire product. It can streamline the process, provide valuable insights and knowledge, save costs, and build a strong product and brand, in addition to simply assuring regulators and consumers that a minimum safety or performance standard has been met. Collaboration between a manufacturer and an independent testing laboratory can ultimately mean a better bottom line for your company.

Teresa Peck is national account manager for testing, inspection, and certification company Intertek. She has more than 20 years of experience collaborating with clients in the HVACR and appliances/electronics industries to meet regulatory, industry, and market requirements.

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