Our Approach

Many Pebbles works collaboratively with you as part of your extended team. This optimises the value that we add from our extensive experience and means that we are always looking out for your best interests since it is advantageous to us for you to succeed! We are passionate about what we do, very practical in nature and pride ourselves on our work. We can drive all project phases from inception to production or we can step-in to offer short term assistance as required.

The following details how we approach product development in order to optimise development costs and minimise time to market.

Device definition and concept generation

  • For a development to be efficient it is important to derive and agree a concise understanding of what is required from the outset. This is typically translated into one or more technical specifications that subsequently drive technological evolution.
  • Multiple potential solutions are explored and these are evaluated objectively with you for a number of factors that can include cost, reliability of manufacture and technological risk amongst others. Efficient but formal processes are employed at this point to ensure that potential solutions are optimised at the outset and also to capture the information generated for future evaluation.

Physical design development

  • Computer Aided Design (CAD) is used to virtually prototype physical elements of the solution. This allows alternative device configurations to be explored and ensures that components are appropriately sized, interface seamlessly with their neighbouring elements and can be assembled reliably.
  • All components are Designed for Manufacture from the outset i.e. each component is developed to be manufactured using the optimal method. This alleviates a potentially costly and time consuming need to re-design components at a later stage to make them compatible with manufacturing methods.
  • Photo Realistic renders can be generated directly from CAD models for your stakeholder management, marketing or consumer evaluations.

Electrical / electronic design development

  • Electrical and electronic elements are breadboarded prior to bespoke hardware being procured. This is the fastest and most cost effective method of deriving the optimal solution since elements can readily be re-plugged, added or removed as required. What results looks electrically identical to the final solution but may look nothing like it physically. Another advantage of creating a breadboard is that firmware or software can be developed and tested directly on this circuit ahead of the final hardware solution being procured.
  • Bespoke Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are developed directly from the breadboard schematic and fully populated proof of concept boards can be created as required prior to scaling your manufacture campaign.

Solution evaluation

  • The derived solution is periodically evaluated against the results generated during the concept generation de-risking exercises. This ensures that no factors that drive the design are missed during the detailed design stage. The de-risking exercise records are also typically up-issued in accordance with the specifics of the detailed design.
  • There are a number of methods that can be employed to validate a design ahead of procuring prototype hardware. These could include hand calculations for simple structural / thermal analysis, computer simulations of extreme operating conditions or functionally representative but drastically simplified prototypes. These help to de-risk and optimise your solution ahead of procuring a production representative prototype.
  • We can offer an Independent Critique of Project Status at any stage to appraise potential strengths or weaknesses of a solution.

Solution testing

  • There is no substitute for real life testing. A small quantity of production representative prototypes are procured for this purpose. We have a strong network of validated suppliers to assist at this stage.
  • Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) campaigns can be conducted as appropriate to evaluate the solution in both real life and simulated extreme conditions to demonstrate device functionality and reliability.
  • Following formal testing you can use the prototypes for potential consumer evaluation and demonstrations.

Configuring supply chains

  • By working with us you ensure that you retain control of all aspects of your product e.g. you won't become locked into a specific supply chain or be forced to have your product manufactured by a single organisation. This is advantageous when scaling production and gives you the option to dual source either components or manufacture for reliability of supply.
  • We have an extensive and well-established network of validated specialist industrial manufacturers and suppliers and are experienced in procuring elements to ensure supply stability.

Scaling manufacture

  • Scaling your product manufacture can be more demanding than envisaged. We can assist you to develop and put processes in place to ensure that each item is produced autonomously to the correct standard and that your manufacturing campaign can be scaled as required. This is equally applicable to you setting up your own production lines or subcontracting manufacture to a third party.
  • De-risking exercises are also advocated ahead of the product manufacture stage to ensure that your devices are manufactured Right First Time rather than risking costly product re-works or the waste of device elements.

Project management

  • Proven project management techniques are used to manage budget and time. Standardised engineering processes are also employed to ensure that innovation takes place efficiently and potential technological and programmatic risks are identified and mitigated effectively. Our track record demonstrates this.
  • Product component and manufacture costs are transparently tracked and updated during developments to result in live indications of overall product costs.

Please take a look at our previous PROJECTS and don't hesitate to CONTACT US for further information.