Supply chain set-up

The start-up company had retained a design company to provide a product prototype that included custom-made electronics. The start-up team did not fully define the technical requirements, and the design consultancy did not have the expertise to design for mass production. The result was a complicated and expensive design which used components that had long lead-times – and was not fit for purpose.

The Zuas team supported the company in preparing a detailed set of design requirements and sent these to several manufacturers. A supplier was chosen, based on their level of expertise and proactive support provided during the quotation process.

The supplier developed and tested prototypes against the original design requirements. Approved parts were manufactured and then shipped to the start-up’s supply chain partner for assembly into the finished product.

The new design was 60% cheaper, had fewer components and its lead-time was reduced from 48 to 12 weeks.

This got the company back on track with its product development and market building efforts, and on the road to success.

Next case study: A vision and strategy for growth