What Are the Stages of Product Development for Manufacturing?

Product development for manufacturing follows a structured stage-gate process that systematically reduces risk while advancing the product toward production readiness.

Stage 1: Discovery & Planning

• Market research and competitive analysis
• User needs identification and requirements gathering
• Business case development and feasibility assessment
• Product specification definition
• Development roadmap and timeline planning
• Budget and resource allocation

Stage 2: Concept Development

• Ideation and brainstorming sessions
• Concept sketching and rendering
• Initial concept prototypes (foam, 3D printed)
• Concept evaluation and selection
• Preliminary manufacturing assessment
• User feedback and concept refinement

Stage 3: Design & Engineering

• Detailed 3D CAD modelling
• Engineering analysis (FEA, thermal, etc.)
• Material selection and specification
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM) optimization
• Design for Assembly (DFA) optimization
• Tolerance analysis and GD&T
• Component sourcing and vendor selection

Stage 4: Prototyping & Validation

• Functional prototype fabrication
• Performance testing and validation
• Regulatory testing and certification
• User testing and feedback integration
• Design iteration and refinement
• Pre-production prototype approval

Stage 5: Production Transfer & Launch

• Production tooling development
• Manufacturing process validation
• First article inspection (FAI)
• Pilot production run
• Quality system implementation
• Full-scale production launch