Taking a product to market is no guarantee that it is commercially viable. Failure is indeed an option. But how the product is commercialized can push up the probability of success.

What exactly is commercialization? It is the consideration all of variables that affect the adoption of a product or technology by a marketplace. Emphasis on commercialization at a product or technology's development stage means taking a full view of its material, cost, design, use, and just about anything that could affect its success.

Some federal laboratories have technology-transfer offices that run commercialization checks when they launch technology. Transferring technology into usable products often requires a third-party commercialization vendor.

For example, the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research came up with a Special Medical Emergency Evacuation Device (SMEED). The unit stabilizes peripheral medical devices, such as ventilators and oxygen cylinders when transporting patients. It replaces the traditional method of attaching equipment directly to the patient.

Turning this idea into a sustainable and viable product required careful design considerations that were beyond the Institute's capability. As prototypes took shape, they contracted with a third party vendor to develop their patent-protected device so it could be manufactured. This contractor arranged for the Army to purchase the finished manufactured product for the battle theatre.

The concept of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) came to play during development. DFM accounts for important design considerations that allow manufacturing the product efficiently. These considerations include material selection, strength to weight ratios, and compatibility with its anticipated environments. In addition, DFM should consider the lowest possible part count and the right type of material and availability of these components. DFM also tries to simplify assemblies or sub-assemblies. Again, optimizing the number smoothes final production.

Supportability and availability of material and components are paramount. Many a product lifecycle has crashed because the aftermarket was not given enough attention in the earliest stages of development. So commercialization looks into the availability of replacement parts, products, and raw materials. The task also considers substitute materials.

An engineering vendor with finesse for DFM provides a distinct advantage. Such third-party vendors handle many different clients and projects. So their experience from other industries allows “cross-pollination” of knowledge that can bring fresh ideas, perspectives, and practices to the “same old, same old.”

A medical device for example, is subject to the same market forces that might be found in the electronics or pharmaceutical industries. Because those in the business of developing medical devices are not always familiar with other industries, they may not be aware of best practices for transferring technology to their own. This is a good reason to have a third party engineering vendor steer the DFM for your product.

When the design is finished, 90% of its costs are set. So it greatly behooves anybody involved in the upfront product or technology development to take a good, hard look at value and concurrent engineering. The design team should take a proactive approach and consider costs from day one of the product's development. Value engineering is a systematic approach to eliminate waste and produce a profitable product.

Value engineering gained momentum in 1993 when the United States Office of Management and Budget issued circular A-131, which requires all federal departments and agencies to use value engineering as a management tool to reduce program and acquisition costs.

Good technology ideas are not always saleable. Making them so is a challenge, and is too often outside the reach of facilities such as an R&D department, or a federally sponsored laboratory. Any technology manager involved in the early stages of new product development should give consideration to value engineering and DFM to yield the highest profit.