Beyond Prototype: Understanding the End-User Perspective in Engineering
The engineering design process or “engineering method” is a step-by-step process used to define, design, and create a solution. While an iterative process, the engineering method can be adjusted according to the anticipated result, the process, or something entirely unexpected. When this process is focused more on technical aspects than the intentions behind the design, it can be easy to miss the driving force behind each innovation: end-user demands.
The balance between proving and developing technical potential and being responsive to user demands can be a challenge for engineering firms. Adopting a perspective that aligns their motivations with user needs can turn into a long-term advantage for their production goals.
User/Customer-centricity is an approach where the user’s or customer’s experience and needs are prioritized in all business processes. The goal is not only to provide good service or offer the highest quality but also to create a holistic process in which the user or customer plays an active role at every stage. This approach can add value to the business by fostering customer loyalty, contributing innovations to products, and providing insights into industry needs.
Omnetics Connector Corporation takes pride in its customer-centric approach to engineering. As a design and manufacturing company with more than 40 years of experience, Omnetics has kept up with the market adapting to customer demands. As Omnetics Special Projects Manager, Travis Neumann suggests, Omnetics has been selling individual micro or nano connectors with pre-set wire lengths when they noticed a demand for harnesses gathered from different companies with more than 15 different types of form factors and sizes. Especially space industry demands have been leaning towards small and lightweight harnesses or jumpers. Neumann notes that customer inquiries and design reviews have grown parallel to such demands. Thus, Omnetics has set its vision.
Omnetics adapted an approach that combines off-the-shelf products with targeted customization.
For end-users with less experience or knowledge, Omnetics establishes an effective communicative relationship with their assigned competent team. Once the team helps the end-user communicate their specific needs, an initial design is formed.
If the end-user can offer insights, diagrams, or requirements, the initial design may be created sooner. By any means, once the initial design has emerged, the feedback loop begins:
It is made possible and encouraged by the Omnetics team for the end-user to be involved in every stage of the feedback loop to perfect the final product based on the end-user’s project. Neumann states,
“The customer obviously understands their requirements best; they might see something that they want tweaked, and we do that for them.
When the design looks good, we offer to build them a sample, which goes into testing. If that looks good, it will transition to a production order. Otherwise, it goes back into the feedback loop.”
With decades of combined sales, engineering, and marketing experience, Omnetics can offer customers solutions they may not have previously considered to address their challenges in the best possible way. As a world leader connector corporation motivated by eagerness to showcase their technical specialties through solving problems as efficiently as possible, Omnetics is there to guide your projects.
SACA Europe stands as a proud trusted distributor of Omnetics’ connector solutions.
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