6 Mistakes You Should Avoid When Hiring a Mechanical Engineering Firm

When done right, outsourcing can be your biggest strength. Your mechanical engineering partner can help you seamlessly bridge the gap between engineering and design and take your business to soaring heights - in the shortest possible time. From reducing operations costs to expanding your skillsets, enjoying global technology advantage, accelerating your time to market, and gaining an edge over your competitors - the benefits of hiring a mechanical engineering firm are many.

But if done wrong, outsourcing can lead to a complete process failure. It can lead to delays in production, strained customer relationships, and can take your whole business downhill.

That's why, whether you are partnering with an external provider due to increased workload, lack of in-house talent, or to cut through the stiff competition, it is important to outsource your engineering tasks carefully.

Here are 6 potential mistakes that you must avoid while hiring a mechanical engineering firm -

1. Partnering with a Wrong Service Provider

   As an enterprise, you might be looking for a mechanical engineering firm that can convert your paper drawings to Computer-Aided Designs (CAD), create a 3D model of your wireframe, and aid you in process planning, master scheduling and more. While there are many service providers in the market today, make sure to partner with one who has rich domain experience.

   Ask your service provider for his portfolio to gauge his experience and if his company's previous experience measures up to your requirements. Also, make sure they have the latest tools and technology in place to meet your project needs. Here are a few questions that you must ask -

   • Which simulation software are you using?
   • What's your team strength?
   • What is the expertise of people who'll work on my project?
   • What is their turnaround time?
   • How many projects have they successfully completed in the past?

   Make sure the company you're partnering with has adequate experience, complies with the latest industry standards and can give you a competitive edge in your niche.

   Not evaluating your service provider on its technical capabilities can cost you heavily.

2. Not Defining the Requirements Clearly

   Every project is different and so are its needs. That's why, effective communication is very important in outsourcing partnership. But many times, enterprises fail to describe their project plans and requirements clearly to their service provider. This, in turn, leads to misinterpretations and product designs that do not align with your requirements.

   When outsourcing your mechanical engineering requirements to a service provider, make sure to describe your product requirements precisely. Create an informative product document and share it with your outsourcing firm. Make sure not even a minor element stays unmentioned. This will not only lead to a streamlined workflow but also to a product that's fit for purpose.

3. Not Measuring the Deliverables Accurately

   Outsourcing usually takes processes out of sight. Enterprises often miss measuring their outsourcing partner's performance on a periodic basis, which leads to costly aftermaths.

   When hiring a mechanical engineering firm, make sure to diligently check their progress and measure their performance. Staying current with them can help you avoid significant reworks later.

4. Preferring Cost Over Quality

   Enterprises are in a constant quest to bring down their overall product costs. Even when partnering with a service provider, they follow a cost-effective policy. But remember, finding the best bargain is not always the wisest choice.

   When choosing a mechanical engineering outsourcing partner, let cost not be the only deciding factor. Try to look at the bigger picture and make quality the benchmark. Always partner with someone who has proven abilities in design and development, is backed by a proficient team of experts, and has a reputation of providing high-quality service to a large number of clients. Try to strike the right balance but never compromise on quality.

5. Not Having Control Over Design & Quality

   As an end service provider, you are the master of your product. Make sure to have control over your design data, intellectual property, product quality, and more. Irrespective of what you outsource and how much you outsource, it is important to know all your design parameters so that you can update the designs and maintain their quality when the outsourcing provider is no longer a partner.

6. Giving Your Service Provider Too Little Freedom

   Outsourcing comes with a certain necessity of trust. You need to trust your partner for his abilities and give him some control over your products. Micromanagement can leave your outsourcing partner frustrated and could prevent extraordinary innovations from happening.

   Similarly, not keeping an eye on product development could also lead to technical glitches. So the key to a successful partnership is maintaining a healthy level of partnership that allows your third party provider to be confident, not overconfident, while working with you.

   Partnering with the right engineering firm can help you transition your product from design to reality. With so many engineering firms to choose from, it often gets difficult to partner with the right one. By following these points, you can make sure you are hiring a mechanical engineering firm that's best for your needs and business.

Outsource Mechanical Engineering Services to FWS

FWS is a leading provider of outsourced mechanical engineering services to clients from across the world. We have a team of experienced and trained engineers that are proficient in working with all the latest tools, technologies, and software. Our team will also consistently implement best practices to keep your project efficient and effective.

Contact us to learn more.